One More Story
by cassie.hack
Summary: What happens if, instead of joining the Alliance, Shepard had become an assassin who stumbles across an asari dancer named Liara during one of her contracts? Slight AU, but will include familiar faces along the way...
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: New (so far__ unfinished) story, anyone? _

_Just wanted to try something else, let me know what you think... :) Feedback and input is highly appreciated._

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**One more story**

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**Part 1**

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Making her way through the crowd near the nightclub's entrance in a confident stroll, Shepard let her eyes wander, taking in her surroundings in a seemingly leisure manner while in truth she quickly scanned the club's patrons as well as memorized all the possible exits and covers the club provided. It was a routine that came naturally after years of working on its perfection...

She finally sat down on a table slightly in the shadows at one end of the club with a perfect view on the bar as well as the dancefloor where various aliens were trying to impress each other by moving their bodies to the thundering bass of the music, their faces illuminated by the quickly changing spotlights.

A smile crossed Shepard's lips as she leaned back in her chair, crossed her legs and took in the scenes taking place in front of her without paying attention to one in particular.

"What can I get you, honey?"

Shepard raised her head and her eyes settled on an asari dressed in the colors of the club – obviously a waitress. The asari placed a hand on her hip while she waited for Shepard's response, her smile indicating that she didn't mind the wait while Shepard studied her. She must be used to it, Shepard mused as she traced the asari's facial markings with her eyes. Just like with every other one of her species Shepard had encountered so far, it was impossible to tell the asari's exact age and for all Shepard knew, the asari in front of her could be fifteen times her age... There was a certain gleam in the asari's eyes that told of wisdom, but working in a nichtclub like this, one could probably gain such wisdom in only a few nights...

The asari was beautiful, no doubt, but then again, they all were... That's why in most nightclubs and bars at least half of the staff were asari. They were aesthetically pleasing for the customers to look at and they all seemed to possess a somewhat mystical aura which, no doubt, granted the club owners a few extra credits spent by desperate customers in hopes of a reward, even if it was just a warm smile and the light brush of a hand on the shoulder...

But Shepard wasn't here to admire the nightclub's staff – as appealing as that thought was, especially considering the dancing poles positioned all around the club... She was here to do do a job, so she finally tore her eyes away from the dark violet markings running from the asari's cheekbone down her neck and leaned forward, returning the waitress' smile. Luckily for her, there was no clause in her contract that forbid the consumption of alcohol during the job...

"A bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy, if you please," she answered in her most charming voice.

The asari's eyes widened for only a quick second but she quickly regained her composure and nodded, turning back to the bar to get Shepard's order. Shepard followed the waitress on her way back to the bar where she leaned towards the bartender to be heard over the loud music while she passed the order.

Shepard finally averted her eyes and brushed some glitter off her pants that had probably landed there because of a dancer that had hurried past the table a few seconds ago. Although it might not be wise to drag too much attention to herself by having an entire bottle of expensive liquor standing prominently on her table, it might just help her speed up the process by gaining her _a lot_ of new friends in a decend amount of time... And if she made sure they drank enough, they wouldn't even remember a woman asking questions about the dead krogan outside the next morning...

Still smiling, Shepard leaned back in her chair and turned her head towards the platform hovering on top of the bar, the design evoking memories of her visits to _Afterlife_ as she watched the few asari dancers skillfully moving their bodies around the poles. Maybe she'd pay Omega a visit one of the following days, she mused... If Aria decided to forget about one of Shepard's recent contracts involving her favorite 'pet' – if you can call a krogan a pet – and allowed her to visit the space station again without having to fight off hordes of mercenaries wanting revenge for Patriarch's death, that was...

Her thoughts were interrupted when her eyes fell on one of the dancers on the platform. She couldn't tell what it was, but Shepard couldn't help but involuntarily lean forward, narrowing her eyes slightly to get a better look at the asari moving along the platform with confident strides before she returned to a pole at the front of the platform, circling it with slow, sensual moves.

One could claim that most asari looked the same – except for maybe the tone of their blue skin and their markings – but there was something about _that_ particular asari that made her stand out from the rest of the dancers on the platform, all other dancers in the club really... and judging by some of the patron's gleaming eyes, Shepard wasn't the only one to notice it...

The waitress returned to her table and placed the bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy in front of Shepard, but the human felt unable to tear her eyes away from the blue-skinned beauty moving her body to the sound of the loud music, seemingly so out of reach for everyone admiring her from underneath her elevated place.

The asari standing next to Shepard's table cleared her throat and the human finally tore her gaze away, blinking a few times at the waiting – still smiling – asari before she nodded. "Oh, right." She activated her omni-tool to pay for the liquor, making sure the tip was adequate – which it was, judging by the hand gently running down Shepard's arm in thanks.

The following wink was lost on Shepard as her eyes immediately shot back to the platform, frantically shooting from one end to the other in search of the asari – to no avail. The asari was gone, replaced by another one, and even though the distance as well as the dimmed light inside the club made it hard to make out any details, Shepard was sure it wasn't the right one anymore...

She frowned, grabbing the bottle in front of her and filling the empty glass that came with it, downing its content in one large gulp. She shook her head when she felt the warm liquor run down her throat, forcing her mind away from the dancer and back to the task at hand. She needed information if she wanted to find her target, and to get that information, she needed the trust of some of the patrons around her...

Her eyes wandered from alien to alien, forcing herself not to linger too long on all the asari employees – which suddenly seemed to be a lot more than she'd noticed at first – that had mingled with the crowd of patrons. She was about to decide whether she should start by waving a turian or a krogan over to her table when she suddenly felt the atmosphere change around her. The music and flashing lights seemed dimmed all of a sudden, as if the entire nightclub was holding their breath. Turning her head from side to side in search of what had caused the sudden change – clearly the brandy couldn't have caused it after just one glass – Shepard froze when her eyes fell on an asari that sauntered confidently towards her table.

Swallowing hard, Shepard had to fight the urge to look around herself and make sure the asari was actually smiling at her. Instead, she let her eyes roam over the asari's body, using the time it took her to reach the table to admire the dancer's grace. With the outfit she was wearing, it was hard not to lose oneself in one of the many curves the taut fabric accentuated, but Shepard quickly found herself staring at those captivating eyes that had locked on hers. It was her...

She didn't need any confirmation – with the matching outfits worn by every dancer in the club that would have been impossible anyway – to know that it was her asari. Well, technically not _her_ asari, but logic only seemed to be in the way at such a sight right now, so Shepard determinedly settled on the term 'her asari', it seemed fitting...

The crowd seemed to part involuntarily for the asari whose eyes were still locked with Shepard's until she finally reached her table, smiling down at the woman fidgeting on the chair in front of her.

Without a word, the asari lowered herself and sat on Shepard's lap, casually wrapping a blue arm around the woman's shoulders as she let her eyes wander over the patrons surrounding them. As if on cue, the music seemed to pick up its intensity again, the deep bass starting to pound in Shepard's ear and all surrounding patrons turned back to their drinks or conversations, surprisingly enough giving the table back its feeling of secluded privacy...

A slight smirk gracing her lips, the asari turned her head back to Shepard, giving the woman time to finally study the asari's markings when a spotlight illuminated her face for a second.

The first thing that caught her eye were the dark freckles adorning the asari's cheekbones as well as delicate markings across both her eyes that resembled human eyebrows remarkably close. There weren't any more markings that would distract from the asari's gorgeous features to speak of, but they were all that was needed to ensure her Shepard's undivided attention, which – if her smile was any indication – the asari was well aware of...

She lazily trailed her free hand down the front of Shepard's outfit while musing, "You're new, I've never seen you here before..." One of her eyebrows rose in amusement as she continued, "So, what brings you here into this..." Her hand vaguely gestured through the air, "...high-class establishment?"

Smiling, Shepard slightly leaned forward to refill her glass with her free left hand – her right hand had involuntarily found its way to the asari's waist, in a purely securing fashion, of course – while challenging, "Who says I've never been here before?"

The asari shrugged and took the refilled glass out of Shepard's hand, downing its entire content with a grace Shepard would have never thought possible if she hadn't just witnessed it herself. Locking eyes with her again, the asari placed the glass back on the table, leaning back against the other woman while she lazily drew random patterns on the other's arm with her left hand. "I would have noticed you," she stated matter-of-factly, the indifferent tone in her voice preventing Shepard from taking the simple statement as a compliment...

Nevertheless intrigued by the challenge, Shepard refilled her glass once more and downed it – not even trying to compete with the dancer's grace from before by doing so – before she faced the asari again. "You're right, I've never been here before, but seeing what this 'high class establishment' has to offer, I might consider paying it another visit sometime... But for now, I'm here to meet someone..."

As soon as the words had left her mouth, she bit her lower lip. She shouldn't have said that. Why had she entrusted that stranger with such knowledge? It should be others revealing their secrets to her and not the other way around...

The asari eyed her intensely and she seemed to sense the other's discomfort. Nodding, she reached for the bottle to refill the glass standing on the table in front of them again before she casually leaned back, enjoying the rich flavor of the liquor on her tongue for a while as her eyes scanned their surroundings. Once the glass was empty and she'd placed it back on the table, she lightly tilted her head towards the other woman and asked, intrigued by the turn their conversation had taken, "Who?"

Her eyes studied Shepard while she patiently waited for an answer, aware of the fact that the other's mind was racing that moment, Shepard's brows furrowed in thought while she stared at the empty glass on the table.

Shepard pursed her lips. _Why not? She's a dancer here, that means she's familiar with the regulars. She might even spare me the trouble of having to waste all that expensive liquor on sweaty, smelly aliens..._

Even if the asari hadn't been momentarily occupying her lap, her fingers still dancing across her arm and her entrancing scent wafting over with every little move she made, it wouldn't have taken Shepard long to decide that she'd say or do almost anything to keep her from leaving, so she simply nodded, keeping her eyes on the glass in front of her while she refilled it again.

"I'm looking for a krogan mercenary. Name is Boon..." she finally answered, still keeping her eyes on the glass.

The asari nodded in thought and took the glass out of Shepard's hand yet again (she should have known...), taking a sip while she let her eyes wander over to the dancefloor. "I know him," she simply stated, her voice even, without any hint of emotion – good or bad – before she offered Shepard the still half-filled glass. The woman took it thankfully and downed the remaining content, waiting for the asari to continue.

But instead of an answer, the asari simply waited until Shepard had placed the glass back on the table before she gracefully changed her position so that she was now straddling the human's lap, placing both her arms on Shepard's shoulders.

"Some patrons might get suspicious if we continue talking like that," she stated with an amused smile as she noticed the other woman's perplexed expression. She leaned closer to Shepard's ear, her lips brushing its shell lightly as she whispered, "I'm here to work, after all..."

Pulling back, she started rolling her hips slightly, making sure not to apply too much pressure when she noticed the sudden heat radiating off the other woman's body. She needed her focused for her next words, after all. Seemingly accidental, she nodded towards a group of tables behind them, keeping her voice low as she whispered, "Boon's the one sitting alone on the table at the far side of the room. He mostly keeps to himself, never wants a private dance. He's got a pistol at his thigh, a shotgun in the case on the chair next to him and a knife in his left boot." Her eyes gleamed with excitement as she spoke. It looked like this night could actually get interesting...

"Dangerous enemy to have," she added, running a hand through the other woman's hair and twirling a loose, red strand around her finger.

Shepard slightly tilted her head to look over the asari's shoulder and spotted her mark, as described by the woman in her lap. Her eyes settled back on the asari before Boon – or anyone else for that matter – could notice her interest.

"What are you going to do with him?" the asari asked, running her hand through Shepard's hair a few more times, obviously fascinated by its texture.

"We'll see..." Shepard shrugged. "Depends on how cooperative he is, I guess..."

The asari chuckled lightly. "Well, should you survive your encounter, you know where to find me..."

Shepard's eyebrow rose at the hidden challenge. "You think I can't take him on?" Her eyes gleamed in sudden amusement. "You don't even know me..."

"I don't need to know you to notice that you're a human and he's a krogan, that doesn't seem like a very fair fight..." The asari smiled while she reached behind her and grabbed the bottle, putting it to her lips without caring about the glass anymore. Lowering the bottle again, her tongue quickly darted out to catch the few drops of brandy that threatened to roll down her chin. "You wouldn't be the first to try either," she declared, her smile returning when she noticed the other woman's eyes were fixed on her lips. "He's managed to mangle his victims in ways I've never seen before..."

Shepard tore her eyes away from the asari's lips and raised them to her eyes, smirking mischievously. "And still you don't seem too worried about my well-being..."

The asari shrugged in feigned disinterest. "As you said, I don't even know you. Why would I be concerned about a stranger?"

Shepard gave a short laugh and nodded, lightly tapping her fingers on the asari's thigh as her eyes once more darted to the krogan sitting alone on his table. "Any idea how I might get him alone?" she asked, suddenly feeling bold. "Hypothetically speaking, of course..."

A devilish smile spread across the asari's face as she shrugged once again. "Well, in a crowded place like this it _is_ possible for a waitress to lose her balance and spill a drink on a customer every once in a while." Her head tilted to the side in feigned innocence. "It has happened before... And such an occurrence _could_ encourage a customer to leave his place..." Her finger slowly trailed down the front of Shepard's jacket as she added, "The rest is up to your imagination..."

Smiling, Shepard nodded. "I can be _very_ resourceful if need be..." Her eyes widened in feigned surprise as she raised a finger. "Wait, did you just hear someone over there ordering a drink?"

The asari's melodious laughter caused a fluttering feeling in Shepard's stomach, which she quickly drowned by taking the bottle out of the asari's hand and taking a large gulp.

"I think I did indeed..." The asari turned her head, motioning with her hand and soon after, the waitress from before leaned in as the dancer whispered something to her. A quick nod and the waitress returned to the bar, making her way over to Boon's table with a filled tray soon after.

As much as Shepard would have loved to see that scene play out, the shifting movement in her lap made her turn her head back to the asari who was climbing off of her that moment. Following the other's movement with her eyes, Shepard sighed. It was time to do what she'd come here to do...

The asari straightened her outfit – not that there was much to straighten as the outfit still tightly clung to her body – and finally raised her head to meet Shepard's eyes once more. The asari smiled warmly. "Well, it has been a pleasure talking to you. Don't forget your brandy." She nodded to the half-empty bottle, but Shepard just shook her head.

"Keep it as a payment for your... 'services'..." She winked mischievously and the asari bowed her head in playful thank, taking the bottle before she turned to leave.

Shepard involuntarily reached out with her hand. "You never told me your name..." she called after her, causing the asari to stop.

Smiling back at her over her shoulder, the asari answered, "It's Liara," before she turned and quickly vanished in the crowd surrounding them, her fingers lightly brushing over the bottle in her hand as a small smile tugged at her lips.

Taking a deep breath, Shepard quickly ran a hand through her hair and made sure her leather jacket covered the pistol on her hip before she followed an enraged krogan on his way out of the nightclub and into the cool air outside...


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Wow, you guys know how to make my day... thanks a lot for all of your reviews!_

_First of all, I guess I should explain the whole "slightly AU"-thing (forgot that in the first chapter, sorry)... Well, the story takes place sometime during ME2, which means the entire thing with Saren has already happened (it'll be hinted at what happened in one of the later chapters, though I'm probably not going to explain everything simply 'cause I have, for example, no idea how they should find Ilos without Liara, but I hope you'll forgive me for that...). I was just wondering what might happen if Shepard (and Liara, obviously) wasn't a part of the entire story so far, how things would change... So you could say the story takes places in the same universe as ME1 and ME2, I've just changed a few things... hope that makes sense... otherwise, just ask. :)  
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_With that being said... I know this chapter is short and there will be more interludes along the way, but the next chapter will once again focus on both of them together, so don't worry...  
_

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**Interlude I**

Drowned out by the still pounding bass coming from inside the club, Shepard gave a heavy sigh as she let herself fall backwards, her back hitting the cold, hard wall behind her.

Panting heavily, she braced both her boots against the lifeless krogan, holding onto the knife still stuck in the side of his neck. With a wet sound, the blade was being ripped out of the wound, another wave of blood following it, before the body fell to the other side with a heavy _thump_.

Shepard reached for a dirty cloth lying a few feet away from her and started wiping at the still fresh blood on the blade and her hands, occasionally brushing new beads of sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. Who knew killing a krogan could be this time-consuming?

She gave a short laugh as her eyes wandered to the discarded pistol a few feet away. She could have left _that_ weapon at home... but how was she supposed to know? Boon had been her first krogan to take on in basically hand-to-hand combat... So far, most clients had been fine with her method of using a rocket launcher on those brutes... But this client wanted a body to be found, probably as a warning...

Luckily for her, she'd remembered Liara mentioning the knife hidden in Boon's boot by the time he'd been looming over her slumped down figure, confident that smashing her against the wall had been the end of their fight.

It hadn't...

But finding the right spots to sink your blade into unprotected flesh on a krogan sounded a lot easier in theory than it had actually been and it had taken Shepard quite some time to figure that out herself... Which didn't mean she hadn't tried her hardest, of course... And that's where her being a human had finally paid off, given a krogan's limited reach with a human on his back, mercilessly hacking at his neck...

Whether he had finally died of her last attack to his neck – the force of it ramming the knife deep into his flesh where it got stuck – or if all the little wounds she'd inflicted on his body during their entire fight had finally drained him of all energy was a detail she wouldn't bother dwelling on... He was dead and she could collect her reward, that was all that mattered... Though she had to admit, she missed the more challenging contracts she'd gotten a few years back, requiring a lot more stealth and skill, but times seemed to have changed and on a planet like this, people seemed to prefer the straight forward approach when dealing with problems...

The sound of laughter made Shepard's head shoot up and she decided it was time to take her leave. Struggling back to her feet, she gritted her teeth and ignored the pain shooting through her entire body.

_Nothing medi-gel and some rest won't be able to fix..._ she thought as she bent down to pick up her pistol. Once she'd secured it back on her hip, she grabbed Boon's case and tossed his blade next to the shotgun inside before she let her eyes wander over the scene one last time, making sure she hadn't left anything behind, but given the state the back alley – the entire planet really – was in, it was highly unlikely there would even be an investigation. Just one more dead krogan in a dirty back alley... If her back hadn't hurt the way it did right now, she might even have felt bad for Boon, but as it was, she simply shrugged and turned away from the lifeless body, quickly vanishing in the darkness of a nearby alley.

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"Well, someone had a generous customer tonight." Jenna, one of the few human dancers working at the club, nodded towards the bottle of brandy standing next to Liara's bag. The asari turned away from her locker and smiled mischievously at the other woman while she put on her jacket.

Jenna whistled, smiling approvingly. "I've once managed to get a half empty glass of warm batarian ale from a 'generous' customer," she mused, shuddering at the thought. "Gave it to one of the turian bouncers." She winked and both dancers chuckled as they recalled said turian coughing and gagging for the rest of said night...

Liara placed the bottle carefully in her bag and headed towards the exit, Jenna in tow. "So you're not going to share your reward with me?" The human pouted mockingly. "And here I thought we were friends..."

A dreamy smile tugged at Liara's lips as her fingers ran over the bag, protectively holding it in front of her chest as they stepped out into the cold air outside. "I don't think I'll drink the rest," she stated, turning her head when Jenna linked arms with her.

"Really?" One of the human's eyebrows shot up. "It's just half filled anyway, you can't sell it anymore..." A smile spread across Jenna's face then. "Unless you're saving it for a special occasion..." She gently nudged her friend.

Liara smiled. "Maybe... I haven't decided yet... But I'd invite you over should I ever change my mind and decide to drink it myself," she assured her and laughing, the two of them hailed a skycab to bring them home.

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Once inside the large apartment block, Liara quickly hugged Jenna and said her goodbyes as the two split up and disappeared each in their own apartment.

Finally alone, the asari rummaged through her bag and tossed it aside as soon as she'd found the brandy, placing the bottle carefully on the kitchen counter where she simply looked at it for a while longer, another smile playing around her lips before she turned away to take a shower and change out of her working clothes.


	3. Chapter 3

"You're back."

Hadn't the gleam in her eyes betrayed her, the sentence would have been a simple statement, but as it was, Shepard returned her smile while the asari gracefully slid down the table she'd been dancing on and quickly approached the newcomer. The volus sitting at said table complained loudly at the end of his entertainment but became silent again quickly after when another asari took Liara's place, 'accidentally' brushing the customer's arm while she positioned herself in front of him – still making sure she was out of his arms' reach considering the alcohol he'd already consumed, which wasn't that difficult as the tiny creature could barely reach the edge of the table from his chair...

Meanwhile, Liara had reached Shepard and stopped a few feet away, deliberately keeping an appropriate distance to the other woman. Shepard's smile widened and one of her eyebrows rose playfully. "You sound surprised..." she stated.

Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Liara lightly tilted her head to the side, amusement prominent in her eyes. "It only means I can still charge you for your last visit now that you're back... and still alive." And winking, she added, "You've cost us a well-paying customer, you know..."

Shaking her head in feigned innocence, Shepard smiled, "I have no idea what you're talking about... But off the record, I thought he never paid for private dances..."

Liara's smile widened and she nodded, letting her eyes wander over the crowd of patrons before she lowered her voice while still sounding excited as she asked, "So, who's your next 'friend'?"

She knew she shouldn't – living in a place like this had made her suspicious of everyone around her – but she couldn't stop the flutter in her stomach whenever she'd thought about the woman now standing in front of her. They were playing a dangerous game right now and if she actually was responsible for what had happened to Boon, the woman in front of Liara was very dangerous, but she just couldn't bring herself to worry. The chance of being a part of a life more exciting than hers was just too intriguing to pass up...

The other woman simply shrugged. "Maybe I'm just here to tie up some loose ends..." she challenged.

Liara's eyes settled back on her, an eyebrow raised in amusement. "Should I be worried then?"

Shepard gave a short laugh and shook her head before she locked eyes with the asari in front of her once more, her tone softening. "What if I'm simply here to talk?"

"You need to pay for a dance, even if you just want to talk," Liara stated, shooting a quick glance to the bar where the bartender had obviously taken an interest in their conversation.

Following the other's line of sight, Shepard nodded, still smiling. "Lead the way."

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They settled on a table at the far side of the club. Just like the table Shepard had chosen during her first visit, it was in some of the darker, quieter corners of the club, but this time the asari had deliberately made sure it was out of the bartender's sight.

Taking the offered hand, Liara stepped on the table and knelt down while Shepard sat down on the only chair in front of her. Liara's eyes followed Shepard's hand as she placed a very familiar case next to her feet – no doubt containing her newly acquired shotgun – and an amused smile played around the asari's lips as she started her routine of slow, sensual moves on the table.

Just like before, Shepard crossed her legs and causally leaned back in her chair, her eyes eager not to miss a single move.

"One of our bouncers found a pretty battered krogan body a few feet away from our exit a few days ago," Liara stated casually without stopping her movement.

"Well, it's a dangerous place out there..." Shepard offered, unable to hide her smirk.

"It is," Liara agreed, bending backwards while one of her hands slowly trailed down her stomach. "But since you're not here for another... 'meeting', why _did_ you return?" she challenged, her eyes boring into the other woman as she straightened up once again, slowly crawling towards the edge of the table.

Shepard shrugged. "Actually, I'm waiting for my shuttle to arrive," she answered honestly. "Thought I might as well pay this fine establishment one last visit before I leave."

"You're leaving?" Liara's movements stopped completely and her eyes widened.

Noticing the other woman's reaction but deciding not to read too much into it, Shepard nodded. She ran a hand through her hair and gave a tired sigh; Her back was still tense from her last encounter... "Sure am. There's nothing left to do for me here and as hospitable as this planet may be... I think I'd rather leave before ending up dying of some exotic illness I get from simply breathing the air here..."

Liara bit her lower lip in thought. As strange as it may sound, but she hadn't expected the other woman – whose name she didn't even know – to leave so soon. Well, to be honest, she _had_ expected it, she had just silently hoped she wouldn't... She should have known better though. A place like this had – aside from the people whose job depended on them staying here – only very few people that considered a longer stay on a planet that fulfilled, and mostly even surpassed, every negative expectation outsiders had. Which simply meant the majority of this planet's population were people that didn't have anywhere else to go... But none of the majority of this planet's population had piqued Liara's interest before...

The asari's eyes darted around the club searching for a way out while she'd meanwhile gone over to chewing on her lower lip. She didn't want this to end, which meant she needed to do something... Now!

"What if I required your service?" she blurted out.

Shepard leaned forward slightly, her lips curled in obvious amusement. "And what service would that be?"

"You know what I'm talking about." Liara's eyes bore into Shepard's but the other woman didn't even flinch, instead kept her innocent expression while she studied the asari in front of her, slowly shaking her head as a warning. Sighing, Liara leaned forward, unaware of Shepard's eyes darting down to her now displayed cleavage for a second before they came back up. "We don't have any surveillance here," she stated, nodding towards the bar at the far side of the room. "Nobody can hear us and, quite frankly, nobody actually cares about it either..."

Shepard turned her head lazily and scanned their surroundings before she answered, keeping her voice low, "And what is it you think I'm doing?"

With a mischievous smirk gracing her lips, Liara slightly leaned backwards and braced both her hands on the table while her right, high-heeled, foot slowly traced the redhead's shin upwards. Bending her knee, her foot continued its way over the outside of Shepard's thigh, stopping only when it reached the wrinkled fabric of the dark pants on the human's lap where she paused, taking a moment to look up and see Shepard's eyes locked on her foot. Her smirk widening, she slowly withdrew her foot, teasingly brushing along the inside of the woman's thigh until she casually crossed her legs, tilting her head to the side and waiting until she was sure she had the human's attention once again before she breathed, "The way I see it, you're taking care of people's problems..."

Just like her mentor had taught her, Shepard took a deep breath and swallowed once, focusing on her next three breaths before she turned her – once more – neutral expression back to the asari. "Who says I'm looking for a new job?"

Her mischievous smirk playing around Liara's lips again, she leaned forward. "Because you like a challenge..." she whispered, letting her tongue dart out and run across her lower lip.

Seemingly unimpressed, Shepard simply nodded, casually resting one of her arms on the chair's back. "I'm not cheap..." she smiled.

Liara's eyebrow rose challengingly, some of her former confidence returning at the other woman's obvious willingness to at least play along. "What makes you think I couldn't afford you?"

The human's smile widened and she nodded, contemplating the other's words for a while before her eyes settled back on Liara whose legs were now casually dangling off the table, managing to make even this pose look graceful...

"All right," she smiled and nodded once more. "Let's pretend I'm actually considering it..."

Liara's heart skipped a beat but at the same time her brows furrowed and she started chewing on her lip again. What now? She'd never even considered hiring a killer – if that woman even was one – nor did she know how the proper procedure went, and, worst of all, who should she choose as a target? While most of the people she encountered were pests, she had no real enemies... Her biotics had helped her defend herself in the dark alleys on her way home so far and most people got the hint as soon as her hands started glowing...

"I..." _Great, Liara, just great! Now what? _Shepard's eyebrow rose but she remained silent. "I'll need some time to... think..."

"To think?" Shepard fought the smile tugging at her lips.

"To... make preparations," Liara corrected, suddenly wishing she had her bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy with her to dull the nervous flutter in her stomach.

"Preparations," Shepard stated more than asked, her eyes never leaving the fidgeting asari.

Liara took a deep breath before she nodded. "Meet me at my apartment. Tomorrow night." She activated her omni-tool to transfer her address.

The human shot a quick glance at her own omni-tool and gave another short laugh. "I hope that's not your real address," she smiled, but, noticing Liara's guilty expression, shook her head. "Wow, you've never done this before, have you? You're lucky I like you... Just... please do me a favor and never hire anyone else, they might not be as sympathetic..."

Liara's face immediately lit up at those words. _She likes me!_

"Well..." Shepard patted her thighs before she reached for the case still standing next to her foot. "I guess I'll cancel my flight then," she announced but was stopped by a blue hand grabbing her arm.

"The hour is not over yet," Liara announced as she resumed her kneeling position on the table, her challenging smile back in place now that she knew she'd see the other woman again. "And as I recall, you've paid for a full hour... or, well..." She waved her hand dismissively. "You haven't paid at all _yet_ and, correct me if I'm wrong, but you still owe me for that last visit..."

Shepard gave a mocking sigh. "I thought that last one was on the house..."

Smiling, Liara slowly shook her head while running her hand down Shepard's front. She leaned forward, now resting both her hands on each of Shepard's thighs as she leaned close to the other woman's ear. "And how would I be able to pay for all the strangers I hire if I stop charging my own customers?" she whispered, slowly tracing the shell of Shepard's ear with her tongue.

Delighted by the slight shudder her movement had caused, Liara pulled back, her smile widening while she slowly drew her fingernails over Shepard's thighs on her way back until she was kneeling at the edge of the table once more.

"There's another customer for you, Liara."

The asari's eyes immediately lost their mischievous gleam as she turned her head to the turian bartender who was standing next to their table, his arms crossed while he waited with a grim expression.

"As you can see, I am not finished yet..." Liara started but was cut off by the turian's ruff voice.

"You are now," he declared, his eyes boring into her relentlessly.

Liara held his gaze for a few more seconds before she turned back to Shepard who offered her a smile and nodded. "Go ahead, I'll be here."

"She can pay her debts to me," the turian went on, his expression telling that he'd paid close attention to the time Shepard had spent in his establishment so far. "He's over there. By the pole." The bartender nodded towards a man sitting in front of a private pole, his head turned in their direction.

With a heavy sigh, Liara pushed herself off the table and shoved past the turian whose eyes immediately zeroed in on Shepard.

The woman smiled up at him from her chair and eagerly activated her omni-tool, paying the bill – as well as a generous tip – without complaint before she ordered a glass of Serrice Ice Brandy, for old time's sake...

The turian stormed back to his bar, grumbling that he wasn't a damn waitress before he waved an asari over and sent her off with a glass of the ordered liquor.

* * *

Trying her hardest not to let the disappointment show on her face, Liara forced a smile as she approached the waiting man. He immediately returned her smile and leaned back while the asari started her routine, not even caring about the occasional tips she received while she executed the studied moves like she always did.

As much as she tried to mute out everything around her (five minutes from now she wouldn't even be able to tell what color her customer's hair had) this time was different... She couldn't prevent herself from shooting glances at the woman still casually sitting at a table across the club, her eyes seemingly never leaving Liara. Knowing she was under surveillance from the nearby bar, Liara did her best to hide the smile that threatened to spread across her face every time their eyes met, every time she turned away and could still feel the woman's eyes linger on her. It was the only thing she noticed around her and she quite enjoyed it...

The night went on and Liara couldn't help the occasional proud flutter in her stomach whenever she watched the other woman wave off other dancers that approached her empty table. It seemed she actually _was_ here for Liara, and despite the man grinning triumphantly every time he catched her smile – thinking it was his doing – Liara enjoyed the thought that, in truth, she was dancing for her, and her only. And, seeing the other woman's smile even from afar, she was sure she knew it too...

* * *

"Here you are, sugar..."

Shepard reluctantly tore her eyes off the blue figure and smiled up at the asari waitress in front of her, placing her fifth drink on the table while reaching for the fourth – empty – glass.

The asari placed the empty glass on her tray and nodded towards a few dancers waiting for work near the bar. "Are you sure you don't want a private dance?"

The human nodded, still smiling politely. "I am, thank you."

Shrugging, the waitress turned back to the bar and Shepard just about catched her whispered, "You sure must like the drinks here..."

With a sigh, Shepard lowered her eyes to the glass in her hand, eyeing the dark liquid lazily swirling around in it. As much as it pained her but she had to agree with the asari, the drinks here were horrible... The Serrice Ice Brandy she'd ordered during her first visit had been fine, but that had been a new, never before opened bottle... The drink the turian bartender had his waitresses bring her tonight had been nothing short of disgusting and Shepard more than once wondered if they even held a single drop of the ordered brandy... They tasted like a mix of every old liquor the turian could find in the darkest, dustiest corners behind his bar, but since she was sure he was only waiting for a reason to kick her out of the club the moment she stopped being a paying customer, she had ordered glass after glass of the swill – hoping she'd still wake up the next morning...

But it was all worth it as soon as Shepard's – somewhat lazy – eyes turned back to the dancing figure across the bar. With a content smile, the woman leaned back in her chair, took a sip from her drink – silently thanked its potency that had dulled her taste buds a while ago – and enjoyed the show...

In rhythm with the deep, pulsing bass, Liara's body skillfully snaked around the pole, its metallic surface flashing every time a light hit it which in turn illuminated the light sheen of sweat on the asari's skin. Every now and then, Liara's head would seemingly by chance turn into her direction, a short wink indicating her awareness of her additional audience... And it was enough to keep the human glued to her chair in her dark corner, enjoying what she could make out from the distance and making up the rest.

A part of her knew she shouldn't stay, shouldn't visit the asari in her apartment the next day, but be it the alcohol that had dulled her senses or her simple urge to at least once break out of her routine of staying in the shadows, there was something about that asari Shepard couldn't quite put her finger on, but it made their little game that much more exciting...

Just as she was about to take another sip from her drink, a blinking orange light brought her back to reality and Shepard placed the glass back on the table before she activated her omni-tool, her brows furrowing while she read the received message.

* * *

Liara was about to force a smile to thank the man for another generous tip when a sudden feeling made her turn her head. She turned just in time to see Shepard hurry towards the exit, scanning something on her omni-tool. Just as she'd reached the door, the woman turned back to Liara one last time, nodding towards her with a smile before she left the nightclub.

Liara couldn't stop the sudden feeling of abandonment that had settled in her stomach, but she quickly turned away from the exit to face her customer once more, a smile already starting to tug at her lips again at her next thought.

She was going to see her again tomorrow night...

* * *

_A/N: Hello again... :)  
_

_I decided to address some of your reviews here (just in case anyone else might be interested as well)...  
_

_orangeO: Yeah, she's kinda OOC, but I suggest taking a look at her dancing in Flux during ME1 (I'm sure there are clips on youtube)... don't tell me she doesn't have it in her... ;)  
_

_Theodur: To be honest, when I started this, I had no idea either... :) I'm not sure how long into the future this story will take place, though... 'cause you're right, a dancer and an assassin don't seem like much against the Reapers, but we'll see how it plays out... You'll learn more about what happend in the meantime (during ME1&ME2) in future chapters, though, I'm keeping my fingers crossed it all works out in the end (which I haven't written yet)...  
_

_With that being said, I'm curious: which character do you think will appear next? Little hint: he's male... :) Hope it won't take me too long to update since I'm already sensing my muse leave again (probably somewhere warmer... damn snow...)  
_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Another short interlude just to keep the speculations active... :)  
_

_As always: thanks a lot for all your reviews, alerts and favorites, love it/them! Nice ideas so far, though the right character's not one of them yet... I have a special role for both Thane and Garrus reserved though, don't worry... :) Anyway, I'm interested to see what you think, you got a couple more chapters until he'll appear so go ahead (only if you want, of course... :) ), I might even be tempted to send the right guesser (that even a word?) a short sneak peek... not to taunt all others, but just because I love giving sneak peeks, can't help it... :)  
_

_I've uploaded this one so shortly after the other chapter 'cause it was basically finished already aaand I might need some time to prepare the next chapter since I'm thinking about rewriting quite a few things, so it could take me a while to upload the next chapter, don't know yet... got a postcard from my muse, she seems to enjoy the sun so far and doesn't seem to be interested in returning anytime soon (just you wait until I get your tanned ass in my hands...) but we'll see how it goes. Just wanted to tell you in case you've already gotten used to the (at least for me) quick updates... :)  
_

_Anyway, enjoy...  
_

* * *

**Interlude II**

"What do you mean, do I have any enemies?" Jenna turned away from her locker and looked at Liara who was leaning against it, the human's eyebrows raised questioningly.

The asari shrugged her shoulders, letting her eyes dart around the room. "I don't know... Let's just say there was a possibility to make someone disappear, who would you choose?"

Jenna's brows furrowed. "What brought this on?"

"It's just a simple question..."

"All right, fine." Jenna shrugged and tapped her chin with her finger in feigned thought. "Who would I choose..." Her face lit up. "There was this vorcha customer last week. His stench alone should be reason enough for him to disappear mysteriously..."

Liara sighed and shook her head. "That's not what I meant."

"Hey, you asked... that's my answer," Jenna beamed at her and closed her locker. "Oh, or maybe that last skycab driver... I swear he was staring at our breasts the _entire_ time! I guess I'd make _him_ disappear too..." she went on while pulling a frustrated asari with her and out of the nightclub.

"Or that guy over there, I bet he hasn't had a bath in weeks... Disgusting!"

"Jenna..."

"Oh I know, every customer leaving the club without giving a tip. _They_ should vanish right after they step out the door..."

"Jenna."

"Last month I wanted to buy a ticket to visit my mom and the guy flying the shuttle offered me, I quote, 'another sort of payment, cherry pie'. Said it would only take a second. Heh, I bet it would... Damn chubby seemed to have had enough actual cherry pie in his life already..."

"Jenna!"

"Fine, fine, I'll stop... Sheesh, you better go drink the rest of your brandy at home, you need to relax..."

Liara sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes shut while they waited for a skycab to land.

"I know..."

.

_'5 new messages'_

Shepard's eyes narrowed as she tapped a few commands into her omni-tool, the light coming from the screen almost blinding her eyes in the otherwise dark room.

On the table in front of her stood a glass of water which she raised to her lips while she read the messages – she'd had enough alcohol already while watching Liara almost the entire night...

There was an anonymous message thanking her for her help regarding a certain dead krogan, a notification about her new account balance, an ad informing her about the new and improved _iPartner_ website, an ad praising the enhancing effects of a new pill promising 'never-ending nights of pleasure' for turians, and... Shepard paused as her eyes scanned the last message marked 'urgent', containing nothing more than a few notes, a long list of names and some basic information about her new contract. What made her brows furrow however was the comment at the end of the message, informing her of the client's short time limit. It needed to be done and it needed to be done quickly.

Sighing, Shepard leaned back on the couch, resting her head against its backrest and staring at the ceiling of the dingy room she'd rented for her short stay on this planet. It wasn't just the large sum coming with the successful execution of the contract that obliged her to do it, but also the certain loss of a loyal – and always well-paying – customer she simply couldn't afford.

Another deep sigh escaped her and she closed her eyes. It seemed she'd still have to end things here faster than she'd expected...


	5. Chapter 5

Liara's eyes narrowed as she forced her entire attention on the datapad in front of her while the fingers of her right hand traced the glass next to it absent-mindedly. It had been emptied and refilled a few times already, one of the strong asari liquor's benefits being the calming effect it had on her body; a benefit she'd decided to take advantage of that night to calm her nerves while she waited for her visitor to arrive.

It had begun raining a while ago and the uninviting atmosphere outside made her warm apartment all the more appealing, if only there wasn't this growing nervous flutter that had settled in her stomach while she scrolled through her datapad. She needed to find a target and time was running out...

Another name appeared on the display: _Torek._

She sighed, propping her chin in the palm of her hand while she chewed on her lower lip in thought. While the club's owner and bartender could be a nuisance, his death would also mean there was a good chance she could lose her job, which meant he was out of the question as well... Now, if only she could remember that taxicab driver's name...

It was hopeless!

With a groan, she turned the datapad off and pushed herself off of the kitchen counter, starting to pace around her apartment while the rain outside relentlessly drummed against the windows, the occasional flash of lightning casting long shadows along the walls; the perfect atmosphere to expect a visitor...

What had she been thinking? Inviting a stranger into her own apartment... Flirting with customers at the club was one thing, the enviroment there provided some sort of security – or at least the illusion thereof – but this was her home... She wouldn't be the first dancer to fall for the charm of a stranger, never to be seen again, and what made matters worse was that just tonight one of the other dancers hadn't shown up for work and no one knew about her whereabouts...

Admitteldy, it was far-fetched, but it wasn't impossible... Their planet didn't have that many newcomers in the course of a few short days...

Her eyes darted to the door when she heard a sound coming from the other side, but as it remained silent for the next seconds, she released the breath she'd been holding and turned back to glance out the window and into the cold night outside, trying to make out any movement whenever the streets and alleys below were cast in a flash of light.

She should have been more careful... She should have told Jenna about it, maybe even invited her over as back-up, or more importantly: she shouldn't have invited that woman here in the first place...

Her finger trailed along the cold surface of the window's glass absent-mindedly. Why had she done it? Surely she couldn't have been naive enough to believe what they had was anything special, anything more than a glimpse at something they both could never have... But then why? The fear of being left on this poor excuse for a planet yet again?

Maybe she didn't even show up...

Still, she needed some sort of precaution. She didn't know the woman well enough to predict her reaction when she found out she'd been called here for no reason and Liara wasn't about to take any chances... Placing her hands on her hips, she scanned her apartment, chewing on her lower lip absent-mindedly. Starting a fight with her biotics in this small space wasn't the best idea – plus she wasn't exactly eager to have to pay for the caused damage and find a new place to stay afterwards... It had to be something else, something simple and quiet, yet deadly...

Her eyes fell on a knife block in her kitchenette and she rushed towards it, weighing the different knives in her hand until she'd found one small enough to be hidden but still big enough to deal lethal damage. With the knife in hand, she approached her couch and slid it in the small gap between its arm and upholstery, placing a cushion over it to make sure it wasn't visible from any angle.

A soft ring coming from the door behind her jolted Liara out of the contemplation of the room and she quickly spun around, hiding the bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy she'd left on the kitchen counter on her way to the door.

"So, did you come up with someone you want me to take care of or do you need some more time?" Shepard was leaning casually against the doorframe, her eyes searching Liara's. She had obviously walked here at least partway; locks of her damp hair were clinging to her forehead while a few droplets of water trailed down her soaked jacket and fell to the floor where they left dark stains.

The asari's throat went dry instantly; she had expected to at least have some time to gauge the other's motives before the topic would come up... "How did you..."

Shepard shrugged, entering the apartment after she shot one last glance over her shoulder down the empty hallway. "You don't seem like the type of person to hire someone like me..." she declared in a neutral tone, the cold fabric of her jacket brushing Liara's arm as she passed her.

"But you still came..." Forcing herself not to shudder at the cold chill that had run down her spine at Shepard's cool expression, Liara shot a quick glance at the couch and she quickly closed the door before taking a few, cautious steps towards the hidden knife.

"I said I would, didn't I?"

Liara's eyes followed the other woman's every move as she wandered around the apartment, shooting occasional glances out the windows into the dark night outside before her eyes fell on a piece of furniture displaying a curious-looking stone. Shepard bent down to pick it up, contemplating the dark, cool object in her hand. "You collect stones?"

"That's... Prothean..." Liara took another step towards the couch, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable having the other person in her home, inspecting her belongings... One of her hands slowly slid down the cushion... "My mother gave it to me when I was a child."

* * *

Nodding, Shepard carefully placed the Prothean artifact back on its place before she continued letting her eyes wander over the tasteful furnishings in Liara's apartment. She hadn't expected anything less, of course, but it still made her feel almost uncomfortable to invade Liara's personal space which she obviously put a lot of effort in making it feel like home... Not that Shepard _had_ a home – what with all the traveling – but she was sure if she had one, it would feel just like this...

_Huh, strange..._

While shooting another quick glance out of the window – a habit she'd picked up early on in her "career" after a failed assault that had almost cost her her life – Shepard inhaled the already familiar light floral scent that seemed to fill the entire apartment, though this time it was in its purest form, not spoiled by the added smell of alien sweat, smoke and liquor from the nightclub, which made it all the more alluring now... She could already feel her tense muscles relax...

_Focus!_

Trying to learn as much about the apartment's owner by soaking in everything around her, the human's eyes wandered from a filled bookshelf to a chair nearby and finally settled on a comfortable couch, her eyes softening. So this was where the unapproachable nightclub dancer relaxed... She raised her eyes to find the tense asari standing next to the couch, too occupied with its cushion to notice her. Tilting her head to the side slightly, Shepard allowed herself a moment to take in her obviously distracted host in all her glory...

While she had been pretty sure Liara wouldn't greet her in her work attire, it was hard to tell what to expect from the asari... As it was, Liara was dressed in a comfortable pair of dark pants along with a plain white shirt, falling loosely down one shoulder, revealing a black bra strap that contrasted perfectly with her blue skin underneath...

A smile started tugging at Shepard's lips as she finally broke the tense silence between them. "And don't worry, I'll still charge you for the night..."

"You... what...?" Liara blinked in confusion, raising her head off the couch – and the hidden knife – to be greeted by a smiling Shepard.

"I already told you I'm not cheap..." The woman winked at her. "Do you have any idea how much your bartender charged me last night? I bet that's 'cause I'm human..."

* * *

Giving a sigh of relief when Shepard's features softened, Liara's fingers relaxed their grip on the couch, the movement drawing her attention towards the fabric falling loosely over her shoulder instead. Her hand immediately shot up to start tugging at the shirt that had been irritating her ever since she'd put it on tonight; it might still take some time for her to get used to human clothing, but Jenna had once mentioned this type of clothing would get her anyone's attention – not that she had anything in mind for tonight, of course, but you never knew...

"Must be..." Liara mused, a shy smile adorning her features now as she nodded in feigned thought. She quickly gave up on her struggle with the stubborn shirt, instead approached her guest and, without asking, started to peel her out of her soaked jacket. "Though I think it's because I might have shown too much enthusiasm."

Shepard's head rose and her amused eyes followed the asari while she, as discreetly as possible, reassured herself there weren't any more hidden weapons despite the pistol in the human's jacket and the blade she no doubt suspected in her boot. Shepard gave a sigh of relief once they'd freed her arms from the clinging fabric and she crossed her arms in front of her chest, raising a challenging eyebrow. "That so?"

While she folded the jacket in her hands – making sure the pistol was still secured in the fabric – and turned around to place it on the kitchen counter, Liara gave a short laugh. "Don't flatter yourself..." she smilingly called over her shoulder before she turned to one of the doors next to the kitchenette and emerged from her bathroom only seconds later with a towel, tossing it to Shepard who caught it mid-air. The woman smiled in thank before she started drying her face and hair.

"We aren't supposed to show too much interest in our customers," Liara explained, leaning against the kitchen counter while she watched the other woman. "We have to keep them entertained and interested, but nothing more..."

Shepard, who was finally satisfied with the state of her skin and hair, shrugged her shoulders and approached the inviting couch in the middle of the room. "Well, I certainly was both..." she announced as she sank into the couch – oblivious to Liara's panicked expression – placing the wet towel on its backrest before she smiled up at Liara. "And I tipped generously, so I guess I'm still welcome in your club, even after last night..."

Sighing inwardly as Shepard sat down on the far – and thus right – side of the couch, Liara returned the smile. "I'm sure you are." She motioned towards the small kitchenette behind her. "Would you like something to drink? Entirely free this time... There's wine, water, brandy..." She bit her lip, hoping Shepard didn't notice her slip-up.

Still smiling up at her, Shepard nodded. "Water's fine. For now..."

* * *

Liara's eyebrow rose. "Shepard? That's your name?"

The other woman shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it's the name I use..."

"Always secretive..." Liara smiled, contemplating the empty glass in her hand. At some point in their conversation, they had switched from water to Serrice Ice Brandy – and Liara had been pleased that Shepard had simply smiled instead of showing any more recognition at the sight of the familiar bottle.

"Don't tell me Liara is your real name..." Shepard turned towards Liara as far as the asari's legs in her lap allowed – neither of them remembered how or when it had happened, but it felt strangely familiar and so neither one cared...

Liara simply shrugged. "We're not exactly the most... high-class establishment, as you may have noticed... And besides, it would be too complicated to have an alias when you encounter most of your customers in your daily life anyway..."

"Such a small world," Shepard mused, running her fingers over Liara's leg absent-mindedly.

"It also provides a lot of regulars..."

"Guess so..."

Shepard slightly leaned backwards, resting her head on the back of the couch while turning it towards Liara. The asari's expression had changed as she contemplated Shepard's hands still massaging her legs.

"What's on your mind?"

Liara's head shot up and she studied the other woman for a few, silent moments before shrugging. "It's just... I feel strangely comfortable around you, yet I barely even know you..."

Shepard gave a short laugh and a mischievous smile spread across her face. "I wouldn't be this successfull, were I not able to easily gain people's trust..."

Liara's eyes started gleaming at the challenge and she slightly leaned forward on the couch. "Does that mean you used your talent to charm me into helping you?"

The other woman shrugged, challenging, "The way you used _your_ talent to catch my attention at the club and relieve me of my hard-earned credits?"

The atmosphere suddenly changed when both women remembered their first encounter, recalling the feelings it had evoked. Neither one spoke another word as they observed each other, reading the other's thoughts from their eyes until Liara felt unable to let the tension between them build up any further. She quickly averted her eyes and cleared her throat, turning to the coffee table in front of the couch. Liquor would help...

While the asari busied herself with refilling both their glasses, it gave Shepard time to watch her without fear of making the asari uncomfortable again.

Liara possessed a timeless beauty that Shepard was sure she could never get tired of looking at and she let her eyes wander from those honest eyes over her cute freckles down to her sensuous lips before settling on her soft chin.

From her position – with her legs still in Shepard's lap – Liara quickly became aware of the impossibility to refill their glasses without spilling any of the liquor, so, with an apologetic smile, she set her feet down on the ground, focussing on the task at hand.

Once the two glasses were filled, she paused and a smile tugged at her lips as she stated, "You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

Liara turned her head to the woman next to her, handing her the glass. "Watching me," she answered, her tone indicating she couldn't decide whether she should be flattered or embarrassed by Shepard's attention.

"Sorry," the other woman mumbled and lowered her eyes to the glass in her hand, a smile tugging at her lips as she took a sip from the brandy. The smile still on her lips, Shepard's eyes slowly rose from the rim of her glass and met Liara's again, whose eyebrow rose playfully.

"You're still doing it," she stated, her voice soft.

"Sorry," Shepard repeated mischievously without taking her eyes off her this time.

Liara swallowed once. She needed to do something to break the tension that had settled between them or else...

"So, how does one become a hired killer?"

She had to admit, there were "smoother ways" – as Jenna would put it – to defuse the situation they'd suddenly found themselves in, but it seemed to have worked nevertheless...

Shepard gave a short laugh.

"A professional hired to prematurely end a destined person's life with a certain grace and skill for a considerable amount of money," she corrected softly, winking at the asari. She placed her glass on the table before spreading her arms in a welcoming gesture. Giving a sigh of relief, Liara quickly placed her own glass on the table and swung her legs back on the couch and onto Shepard's lap, the warm feeling immediately settling back in her stomach as she felt the other's fingers pick up the act of tracing random patterns on her calves while the human's eyes grew distant while she thought.

Liara waited patiently for the other to answer, resting her right arm on the couch and propping her chin in the palm of her hand.

Her eyes still averted, her fingers still caressing Liara's legs, Shepard finally sighed and shrugged before she broke the silence. "The way I see it, everyone has at least one thing they're good at and there always seems to be someone noticing it and offering you a way to make use of your talents..."

Liara nodded absent-mindedly. She understood. And when Shepard turned again to face her, an almost unnoticable gleam in her eyes made Liara simply nod without any further questions. Maybe one day she'd hear the story behind that simple statement, maybe not... Not every story had to be shared...

As sudden as the change in her expression had been, it vanished again and after emptying her glass in one large gulp, Shepard lightly tapped Liara's legs, taking a deep breath before genuinely smiling at her again.

"Well, I guess I should get going then... It's getting late."

Despite the sting in her chest, Liara nodded quickly. "Of course. I didn't mean to take up so much of your time in the first place..." _Liar!_

Shepard waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry, I enjoyed it." And with a wink she added, "It was good being able to spend time with you without having a turian constantly breathing down my neck, charging me for every second I look at you..."

One of Liara's eyebrows rose playfully. "Who says I'm not going to charge you for that?"

Shepard shook her head and sighed mockingly. "And here I thought my presence was rewarding enough..." She gently placed Liara's feet back on the ground and got up with a tired sigh. "Well, in that case I guess I'll leave as soon as possible before I completely run out of credits..." Sighing, Shepard stretched her tired limbs as she approached the door, turning back to Liara who handed her her jacket while the door opened. "Take care."

Liara's eyebrow rose playfully once again as she leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms. "I'm not the one with a constant target on my back..."

"You know, I might need to silence you if you reveal that information to anyone," Shepard challenged.

Liara shrugged in feigned indifference, trying to hide her smile. "If it means seeing you again..."

"There should be easier ways that don't involve guns... or poisons... or knives... or-"

"I get your point."

Shepard nodded, still smiling as she took a few steps backwards into the hallway, allowing the door to hiss shut without another word.

The door closed and, muffled by the hissing sound, Liara gave a heavy sigh as she turned towards her apartment that suddenly felt _very _empty... She was about to walk back to the coffee table to put the glasses away when a short ring at the door made her stop. Her brows furrowed. Maybe Jenna had already seen her late-night visitor and wanted to hear details...

She activated the door control once more and her eyes widened in surprise as they settled on Shepard. The human ran a hand through her hair and gave her an apologetic smile.

"I think I-" she started but was interrupted when Liara grabbed the collar of her jacket and pulled her back into the apartment, crashing their lips together and thus successfully silencing any more unnecessary words of explanation.

* * *

_A/N: Hm, not entirely sure about this chapter and still I'm struggling with the next, might take a while again for that one as well... Should be worth the wait though, once I'm done with Part 1 it should get better with more cameos... :)  
_

_And to make matters worse: my pc died on me a few days back. Got it working somehow but I'm not exactly comfortable writing more stuff since I'm afraid it might crash again and take my files with it, but we'll see how it goes..._

_Thanks for your patience!_


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Ugh... OK, let's get this over with.. _

_This chapter is in no way relevant for the story, so feel free to skip it if you like (please do ;) ). If you don't, I should warn you: this is the first NSFW scene (is it even NSFW? No idea...) I've written and I guess now you know why I usually_ _don__'t__ write them... :) Anyway, I've been struggling with this scene for a while, I sometimes even thought about deleting it altogether but it just felt kinda wrong to stop with a fade to black scene and leave it at that since all previous chapters have basically been leading to this, so I forced myself to give it a shot... PLEASE tell me if you know how I could improve future scenes (should I decide to write any more, which I doubt...) since it's kinda hard for me to tell because I read my chapters in an almost "clinical" way (_I_ thought it was boring) and after going over a scene dozens of times you just start to get numb and are only able to focus on grammar, etc. that's why I'm uploading it now without going over it again..._

_"In case" it sucked: let's just pretend I've never written it and move on, shall we? :)_

* * *

Liara's back hit the kitchen counter at the same time Shepard's jacket fell to the ground. Feeling the cold surface in her back made her even more aware of the warm body pressed to her front. She couldn't stop a gasp from escaping her when Shepard's mouth left hers to trail down her neck hungrily, the human's hands pulling up her loose shirt just high enough to revel in the soft texture of the skin underneath. Shepard's right thumb trailed along the raised outline of a scar running across the side of Liara's stomach and she made a mental note to ask about its origin one day, but the hot, ragged breath hitting her neck quickly turned her attention back towards the shivering body still trapped between her and the kitchen counter.

Liara had to close her eyes at the sensations the simplest touch from the other woman could start in her body until she feared her knees would give way under her. As if sensing her thoughts, Shepard's hands left Liara's sides to trail down her hips until they gripped firmly, pulling her closer which earned her another surprised gasp from the asari.

"We probably shouldn't be doing this..." Liara whispered hoarsely, closing her eyes again as Shepard's lips kept pressing kisses along her neck towards her pulse point.

"M-hm..."

"We barely even know each other..." Her hands instinctively buried themselves in Shepard's hair, letting the silky strands run through her fingers.

"M-hm..."

"It could be dangerous for both of us..."

That finally got Shepard's attention and she reluctantly raised her head from Liara's chin, placing another soft kiss there before murmuring, "And why's that?"

Liara inhaled deeply, forcing her eyes to open and look into Shepard's. "You're a killer, I'm a biotic..." A challenging smirk started playing around her lips, unbidden, as she added, "Those two don't necessarily mix well..."

"I see..." In feigned thought, Shepard lowered her gaze and continued nibbling at Liara's chin before she placed a kiss on the corner of her mouth, followed by another one just out of reach until Liara's protesting groan made her raise her eyes again, a mischievous smile on her lips. "Wanna try regardless?"

With a sigh, Liara crashed her lips against Shepard's, hoping that would suffice as an answer...

It did.

Shepard's roaming hands had meanwhile found their way back to Liara's thighs and took hold, encouraging the asari to wrap her legs around Shepard before she pulled back from the hard surface, freeing her lips from Liara's to manage between panting breaths, "Which way?"

It took Liara's mind a few seconds to catch on what the human meant but once she did, she silently nodded over her shoulder towards the second, closed, door behind the kitchenette. Shepard nodded and quickly made her way over to the door, having to take a couple of breaks along the way to take deep, controlled breaths to help her keep her balance while the asari in her arms kept attacking her neck with her mouth and rolling her hips forward in an unmistakable fashion.

They finally managed to make their way into Liara's bedroom and Shepard gave a sigh of relief when she gently set Liara down on the bed, the asari's legs untangling themselves from her midsection before she challengingly scooted further up the bed and out of Shepard's reach.

With a predatory gleam in her eyes, Shepard was quick to follow, gracefully sliding up Liara's body while holding herself up on her arms, her face hovering over Liara's again only seconds later. Liara didn't miss a beat and her hands found the hem of Shepard's shirt, slightly pulling it up to reveal soft, heated skin. Getting the hint, Shepard straightened up so that she was now straddling the heavily breathing asari underneath her, hooded eyes following her every move as she pulled the shirt over her head, tossing it aside without caring where it landed. Liara's hands meanwhile continued their exploration of the newly revealed skin, reveling in its texture as they wandered higher and higher until it became necessary for her to sit up if she wanted to continue. Shepard's arms immediately wrapped around her and her front pressing against Liara's forced the asari's hands to abandon their initial goal and instead follow Shepard's ribcage to her back where they gripped onto strong shoulders when she felt Shepard's lips on her neck once more.

It hadn't even taken Shepard a minute getting addicted to the feeling of Liara's soft skin under her lips and she intended to explore as much of it as possible in the course of this night... She reached Liara's pulse point once more and couldn't stop the excited shudder as she felt it beating against her lips rapidly.

Momentarily distracted by the sensations Shepard's lips provided, Liara's shirt landed next to Shepard's before the asari even knew what was going on, quickly followed by her bra.

_Talented indeed..._ A small smile played around Liara's lips as she felt Shepard's body push her back into the mattress, the human's knee coming up to press against the juncture between her legs – not that her body would need any more encouragement to ignite a throbbing almost bordering on pain there – while Shepard's fingers set to work on the asari's pants.

"Shepard..." Liara's husky voice trailed off at the sudden sensation she felt as Shepard's skin brushed hers and her arms gripped the human's shoulders tightly, pulling Shepard's entire body onto hers and humming softly at the feeling of their skins moving together, feeling every ripple of Shepard's abdominal muscles while her talented mouth meanwhile trailed down Liara's throat to the valley between her breasts on its task to cover as much of the blue, inviting skin as possible. A soft gasp that quickly turned into a sigh escaped her lips when Shepard's tongue darted out, creating a wet trail to the left while at the same time Shepard's hands had finally managed to push Liara's pants down over her hips, making sure to teasingly drag her fingers along the trembling flesh hidden underneath.

Unwilling to break the skin-on-skin contact, Shepard struggled to get Liara's pants past her thighs and down her legs while her mouth continued its attack on a soft, blue nipple, teasingly grazing her teeth over it every now and then which was rewarded with a series of soft gasps and moans the human just couldn't get enough of.

With the restriction of her pants gone, Liara's legs wrapped around Shepard once more, holding her in a death grip to prevent her from moving away from the delicious pressure that position created on the asari's core, a ragged gasp escaping her when Shepard increased the pressure even more by slowly rolling her hips against her.

Once her mouth left the second breast to return to the valley between them and trail soft kisses downwards, Shepard felt Liara tug at her shoulders while one of her hands found the human's chin and pulled her back up for a searing kiss. They only broke apart when their lungs started screaming for air and both held the other's gaze for a long moment, trying to catch their breath.

"I..." Liara started, an unspoken question suddenly prominent in her eyes, but something seemed to be holding her back and she bit her lower lip, averting her eyes nervously.

Smiling reassuringly, Shepard waited for Liara to speak again, but as the asari still refused to look her in the eyes again, she simply nodded and placed a kiss on her forehead before leaning back down to capture her lips, nibbling at them softly, reassuringly, until she felt Liara responding in kind. She smiled into the kiss; there would be time to talk later...

Regretfully tearing herself away from those soft, inviting lips, Shepard gave Liara another smile, making sure to keep eye contact to be able and notice every change in her expression – should the asari change her mind – while her left hand slowly followed Liara's ribs and down her stomach.

Swallowing once, Liara closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip in anticipation as she followed the other's fingers on their way along her skin, Shepard's fingertips lightly trailing along her thighs or back up her stomach whenever coming close to where she needed them most now. A sound somewhere between a sigh and a moan escaped her that elicited a chuckle from the woman above her but she was way beyond caring and so her hand left Shepard's chin to grip her wrist firmly, pulling her hand into place.

An amused humm caused a wave of hot air to brush against her neck before Shepard finally gave in to release the burning ache that had been building up the entire night, another soft chuckle escaping her when Liara's mouth fell open in a silent cry, her hand letting go of Shepard's wrist and gripping the bed sheet underneath them while all coherent thought left her mind.

* * *

Liara's eyes opened slowly and they immediately settled on the dark figure sitting at the edge of the bed, the orange glow from an activated omni-tool illuminating her face. Smiling, she slowly crawled towards the figure and, after placing a soft kiss on her neck, rested her chin on the other's shoulder, catching a quick glance at the omni-tool before it was turned off.

"When will you return?" she whispered close to Shepard's ear and the other woman slowly shook her head.

"I don't know yet..." A smile spread across Shepard's face as she turned, capturing the asari's lips in a kiss before she pulled back. "But I'm glad you didn't have a job for me. Would have made for a very rushed one... And despite what Boon's body might imply, I don't like messy and hurried kills..."

"You're leaving today...?" It wasn't really a question, Liara already knew the answer, but she could still feel a sting in her heart when Shepard nodded.

Liara bit her lower lip. "Will I see you again?"

Shepard gave her a reassuring smile as she cupped her cheek, her thumb gently brushing over her skin. "Sure, if everything goes as planned and I don't end up with a knife in my back I'll be back to pestering your turian barkeeper in no time..."

Rolling her eyes, Liara lightly slapped the other woman's arm while silently praying she was right...


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N 1: First of all: thanks A LOT for all your encouragement and reviews (boy, did I need them... :) ), you guys rock!  
_

_Guess what day it is, my dear readers... That's right, it's Soon-I'm-off-to-play-the-new-Citadel-DLC-day! But before that (and most of all, to celebrate it), I've got a new interlude for you... :)  
_

_By the way, I'm sorry for all those interludes, but for me they're a way to cover the times Liara and Shepard are apart (since, let's be honest, those two together should be considered the main story...), though they will be apart for the next few chapters anyway, so let's just look at them as one big interlude... :)_

_As for the plot: Part I will mainly focus on the two characters, giving you a chance to get to know them before they get tossed out into the big, dark galaxy in the following parts..._

_And, at last, the first character appearing will be revealed and it's... Guess you'll have to read and see for yourself... ;) enjoy..._

* * *

**Interlude III**

**.**

"So... I've seen someone leave your apartment early this morning..."

Startled by the voice behind her, Liara spun around to see Jenna standing a few feet away in the otherwise empty hallway, grinning suggestively.

Sighing, Liara turned back to her door to lock it, shaking her head with a sigh. _Of course you have..._

When the silence continued even as Liara stepped away from her apartment door, Jenna linked arms with her and pulled her down the hallway, still grinning. "Well?" she asked, eyeing the asari curiously.

Liara shook her head, keeping her eyes straight ahead as they walked down the stairs of their apartment building. "I don't see why this would be of any concern to you..." she answered, making sure to keep her voice soft despite the nervous flutter in her stomach.

"Oh come on, it's been _so_ long! And you always tell me about stuff like that... Is it someone I know? It was kinda hard to tell in the dimmed light of the hallway..." Jenna's grip on Liara's arm tightened and she gave a mocking gasp. "Is it a customer? You know we're not allowed to take them home... If Torek hears about this..."

"He won't hear about it unless a nosy dancer tells him..." Liara declared, shooting her friend a warning glare. The human simply shrugged, obviously unimpressed by the threat.

They stepped out of the cool apartment building and were immediately met by the early afternoon sun, promising a friendly day they would once again spend in the dimmed, stuffy night club they were currently headed to.

A few aliens passed by, not paying them much thought while the duo scanned the sky above them for a skycab. Liara was the first to spot one of the shabby vehicles and waved it down, silently praying for a capable driver this time...

But despite all of this, Liara couldn't stop a happy sigh to escape her when memories of last night ran through her head while they waited for the skycab to set down in front of them. She quickly turned away, however, feigning to rummage through her bag to hide her smile from Jenna's suspicious gaze next to her. "Besides," she murmured into her bag, "Technically she's not a customer..."

Jenna's face lit up immediately. "Ooh, there we go... Don't worry, we'll have more than enough time 'til we reach work for you to tell me _everything_..."

.

"I'll pay you double if we reach the planet within the next solar day."

The pilot's eyes widened at her offer and Shepard couldn't hide her triumphant smile any longer. She knew she had him...

Scratching his beard, the man grinned at her as he announced, "Lady, for that sum you could have the whole damn ship..."

"That won't be necessary." Shepard's eyes wandered over the ship's interior, a skeptical eyebrow raised. Judging by the vehicle's exterior, she hadn't been surprised by the sorry state its interior was in, but she still took the time to inspect it while the pilot seemed to be occupied with his preparations...

Crammed in the small space were three more seats – obviously added later on, judging by their light rocking movement every time the noise of another ship landing or taking off reverberated through the hangar – and it was obvious that the pilot spent a lot of time in his ship, as indicated by the blanket and pillow stowed away in the rearmost corner of the ship. Other than that, the ground was littered with datapads, empty and half-empty bottles, empty food cans and the occasional item of clothing in its respective state of cleanness... all of it only adding to the ship's unique charm, which was exactly why she'd chosen it in the first place.

There were a lot of other ships docked at the hangar, but Shepard had quickly learned that, the better the state a ship, the lower her chances of convincing the pilot to bring her to her destination without waiting for more passengers to arrive and thus increase his payment...

So she had settled for an old, shabby ship hidden in a dark corner of the landing area after observing the ship's pilot for a while. He didn't move much, but judging by the effort it had taken him to simply sit down on the edge of the ship's opened hatch, she assumed it must have something to do with his obvious limp. The entire time Shepard had watched him, he hadn't strayed away from his ship once, which had been reason number two she'd chosen him; it seemed they both shared the need to get away from this place as quickly as possible...

Reason number three was harder to put into words... There had been something about the man that had told her he was the right one for the job. Competent enough to get her where she wanted to go and discreet enough to keep his mouth shut for the right prize – she had spent enough time of her life in the dark corners of the galaxy to know she could simply trust her instinct on this. Plus there was a certain gleam in the man's eyes, partially hidden in the shadow of his cap, that told her he'd have a lot of interesting stories to tell – a detail not to be underestimated for a flight that would take them this long...

So she had approached the man, had waited patiently while he'd eyed her – which she deemed only fair– before, after a few exchanged words, he'd crawled back into the pilot seat where he was now sitting in, nodding to himself.

"Good, 'cause it's crap anyway..." he murmured while reaching under his seat to produce a datapad which, after being activated, flashed the promising words 'manual'... Scratching his beard with his free hand, he scrolled through it. "I doubt anyone but me would be able to fly it anyway..." Obviously having found what he'd been looking for, he distractedly motioned towards the back of the ship. "Just take a seat and we're off..."

Shepard nodded and approached the nearest seat, bending down to pick up a datapad momentarily occupying it. Upon touching its shabby display, it flickered to life and a smile started tugging at her lips as she turned back to the pilot who was already steering his way through the crowded docking area.

"Fornax?" she asked, her eyebrow raised in amusement as she sat down.

"Asari Special," the pilot added. He turned in his seat as soon as they were on the right track, shooting through the darkness towards the faint, blue glow of a distant mass relay. "There's a nightclub a few blocks away... best entertainment you've had in years, trust me..."

Not able to contain her smile any longer, Shepard leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs. "You don't say..."

"Yup." The pilot nodded as he turned back around, his hands flying over the controls in front of him with ease.

While her pilot was once more occupied with the ship's controls, Shepard let her eyes wander over its interior once more until they got caught at a discarded jacket partially covered by a crate near the pilot chair. She turned her attention back to the man and casually asked, "What's an Alliance pilot doing in a place like this, playing taxi for shady people in this old thing?"

The pilot's hands stopped and he tensed before he shrugged his shoulders after a second's hesitation. "That was another life..." he evaded. "Besides, where's the difference? As a pilot for the Alliance, I'd still play taxi for all those 'important' people. And as for the 'old thing'..." Giving a short laugh, he lovingly patted his seat. "That might be part of why I'm not an Alliance pilot anymore... There might have been a... disagreement regarding the ownership of this little beauty... I couldn't just leave her behind when I decided to leave..."

He punched a button on the controls and Shepard's assumption was confirmed as the ship sped off into space at a much quicker speed than expected from a shabby little vessel like this...

Once she had regained her balance on the unstable seat, she slightly leaned forward, her eyes gleaming in obvious curiosity, "You stole an Alliance ship? Do tell..."

* * *

_A/N 2: It's Joker, who'da thought? To be honest, I wasn't his biggest fan in the games, but I think he fits his role in this story perfectly... After all, he might have left the Alliance, what with teachers and other students making fun of him, etc...  
_

_So, what do you think? Agree? Disapprove? Suggestions for the future? Let me know._


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Sorry, life has been... well... life and thus pretty uninspiring... plus I have been struggling with the mood in this chapter... I'm still not sure I'm completely happy with it but it's the best I can do for now..._

_Thanks a lot for all your reviews, favs, follows, etc. I hope you'll continue to enjoy the story..._

* * *

The white towel slid to the floor soundlessly and with a content sigh, Liara crawled under the blanket, reveling in its softness brushing over her naked skin. Once entirely surrounded by the warmth of her bed, she finally allowed her body to relax after a long day of exertion at the club, her tired muscles loosening even more after the warm bath she had just enjoyed beforehand.

Inhaling deeply, a smile formed on her lips and she turned to the side, burying her face in her pillow with another sigh; if she closed her eyes and focused long enough, she could still detect a subtly lingering remainder of Shepard's scent...

And so, with the content smile still on her lips and Shepard's comforting scent caressing her sensitive nostrils, Liara let go and drifted off to sleep.

.

The door to his apartment hissed shut behind Donnel Udina and with a sigh, the man stepped into the nearby kitchen, pouring himself a glass of whiskey from the waiting bottle that stood prominently on the kitchen counter.

A tired sigh escaped him. Life as a politician shouldn't be this demanding... For the last years he had worked hard to get where he was now, had forsaken a life outside of politics; he'd never married, had no kids waiting for him to return home to at night, the friendships he kept were all strictly for his political advantage, and still he felt like a child desperately trying to make adults listen to what he was saying whenever he tried to bring up any topic even remotely in humanity's interest or, heaven forbid, suggest to finally give humanity the seat in the council it deserved...

_Damn aliens!_

After taking the first sip, he exhaled loudly and closed his eyes, savoring the exquisite taste of the strong liquor on his tongue before he swallowed, unaware that this had just been the last drink he'd ever have...

A dark silhouette emerged from the shadow behind a large bookshelf in his living room and after only two silent steps, Udina's eyes widened when he felt the coldness of a thin wire tightening around his neck. Before his mind had time to process what was going on, the wire was pulled tight, drawing blood immediately as it cut into the soft skin on his throat.

Survival instinct kicked in as soon as his body realized that the air he'd just exhaled in his surprised gasp at the attack wouldn't be replaced and his lungs started burning in protest, only adding to the already rising panic within him. Udina's eyes started to bulge at his struggle and his fingers clawed at the tight wire around his neck despite the obvious pointlessness of such an action, but faced with the danger of an impending death, all logic thought seemed to leave a victim's mind and they were reduced to nothing but an animal fighting for its survival...

With his entire attention focused on the tightening hold of the wire around his neck and the continuing lack of air, Udina's legs finally gave way under him and he fell to the ground, his feet kicking helplessly along the kitchen floor while his body bent and turned in almost grotesque fashion in its struggle for air. As if mocking him, he could feel the warm breath of his attacker hit the side of his face in controlled, regular intervals while they waited.

It seemed like an eternity – even though it couldn't have been more than a few minutes – when his body finally gave up its struggle for freedom and his brain shut down, his eyes rolling backwards and his tongue hanging out of his open mouth when his entire form went slack.

Even when Udina's spent body sank to the ground, Shepard didn't loosen her hold and instead pressed a knee into the man's back for more force while she silently waited for all the life to leave her victim's body. She leisurely let her eyes wander over the apartment's decor when a smile formed on her lips at a sudden memory. During her youth, Shepard had been fortunate enough to be trained by a master in the art of killing, early on teaching her the importance of patience, the ability to vanish into a shadow and wait for the perfect opportunity to present itself, be it after two minutes or 24 hours... The same applied to a kill; a rushed hit could have dangerous consequences and Shepard knew, waiting just a few more minutes to make sure the target was actually dead, had saved her life more than once – and certainly added to her reputation in the business...

And so she waited, ignored the light burning sensation in her arms from the constant strain before she finally loosened her grip and pushed the limp body aside, checking for a pulse before she straightened up.

While her eyes continued to scan the rest of the quiet apartment for any indications that she had been here, they fell on the opened bottle still standing on the kitchen counter and a mischievous smile started playing around her lips. She reached out, grabbed the bottle and turned to the door, still smiling; he wouldn't need it anymore...

.

"I swear, if one more hanar wants a private dance, I'm gonna send the new girl..." Jenna furiously rubbed at the slimy stains on her outfit. "You'd think they're all high and mighty with the way they talk," she continued, pointing the soaked towel at Liara, "but ooooooh no, they're just as rotten as the rest of them!"

"Hm..." was the only response she got from the distracted asari next to her and Jenna finally lowered the towel to eye her friend skeptically.

"Were you even listening?"

"Hm?" Liara blinked and tore her eyes away from the red-haired woman who'd just entered the club. It wasn't the same fiery red as Shepard's and the gleaming blue eyes were missing as well, but the similarity had been enough to catch Liara's attention... Upon noticing her friend's suspiciously narrowed eyes, she hurriedly added, "I'm sorry, I was just..." She trailed off, shrugging her shoulders apologetically before she fully turned away from the tables near the entrance and faced Jenna. "What were you saying?"

The human rolled her eyes. "Oh, forget it..." With a sigh, she gently shoved past her friend and tossed the towel at the bar on her way back to the stairs leading up to the higher dancing stage – her snicker when the wet towel hit the back of Torek's head being drowned out by the loud music, as were the turian's curses...

Liara's eyes followed Jenna absent-mindedly for a few seconds before they shot back to the bar in search of the newcomer once more...

.

"OK, I have to admit, I didn't think we'd already reached the part of our relationship where you take me out for diner in fancy restaurants," Joker (as Shepard's pilot had introduced himself sometime during their journey) covered his mouth to stifle a, for this place very unbecoming, belch before he attacked the food piled up on his plate once more, "But I'm definitely not complaining..." He grinned at her from underneath his cap (which he'd, despite the waiter's obvious displeasure, insisted on keeping on), grease from the grilled lobster running down his chin and dripping back onto the plate.

One of Shepard's delicate eyebrows rose but she remained silent otherwise while she (not for the first time that night) wondered if it might have been less conspicuous if she'd simply entered the restaurant alone... Joker didn't exactly fit the description of an inconspicuous partner, but so far, the waiter seemed to be the only one in the room to have taken notice and she intended to keep it that way...

"Would you excuse me for a second? I'll be right back..." She placed her napkin next to her plate and rose from her seat, nodding towards the restrooms at the far side of the restaurant, right next to the open kitchen where various aliens were hurrying from pans to skillets and back again, trying to evade the many waiters rushing in and out.

Joker simply nodded, not even caring to lift his head while he kept shoveling pasta from a second plate into his mouth. "Right... Hey, you still gonna eat that lamb?"

Shepard shot a quick glance at her own plate and couldn't help but smile. She lightly patted the man on the shoulder while walking past him. "Knock yourself out..."

* * *

The restrooms were in an elegant black while dozens of tiny light bulbs provided enough illumination to allow the visitors to check their appearance in the large mirror hanging above a long line of washbasins.

Shepard held her hands underneath a steady stream of cold water and let it wash over her wrists, sighing at the cooling sensation it provided. She raised her head to watch the mirrored water installation behind her when the door to the restrooms whooshed open and an asari entered, eyeing the human with a quick glance before heading for one of the cabins nearby.

Shepard lowered her head once more and slowly turned it from side to side until she could feel some of the tension in her neck ease before she pulled her hands away. The water from the faucet stopped immediately and she reached for one of the soft, white towels piled up next to the washbasins. Still drying her hands, she turned away from the basins, a new determination etched on her features...

* * *

"Hey, I ordered us some fancy-sounding asari dessert, I hope that's all right..."

"Sure." Shepard just nodded as she sat back down on her chair, her eyes following the asari who left the women's restrooms soon after her.

"Great, thought so... I'm not sure what it is though, that waiter-guy didn't want to explain it... He doesn't seem to like me much..."

A smile tugged at Shepard's lips and she leaned back in her chair, teasing, "I can't imagine why..."

"I know." Joker gave a short laugh which stopped as soon as said waiter approached their table and placed a bowl with a purple substance – its consistency not unlike that of ice cream if one ignored the blue steam arising from it – between the two of them and left without a word.

"You wanna go first?" the pilot asked after testingly nudging the substance with his spoon.

"Sure." Shepard absent-mindedly dug her spoon into the dessert while her eyes still watchfully observed the tables around them. The foreign taste in her mouth finally made her tear her eyes away from the asari she'd seen earlier to inspect the bowl standing in front of her. "Huh..." Her eyebrows furrowed in irritation and she poked the substance again to fill another spoon.

"So...?" Joker urged, still not daring to sink his spoon into the purple substance until he received Shepard's OK.

"It's..." Shepard raised another spoon to her lips, her mouth slowly getting accustomed to the coldness and the unfamiliar, sweet taste of their dessert. "I've never tasted anything like this..."

"So, does that mean it's good or bad?" Joker leaned forward in his seat, obviously intrigued yet still hesitant.

Deep in thought, Shepard pursed her lips while she tried to distinguish the taste in her mouth... It was definitely sweet, a foreign fruit maybe? She could also detect a hint of brandy, a rather potent one at that – even for asari standards – but try as she might, she couldn't come up with an appropriate description except the sudden thought that it somehow, strangely, reminded her of Liara... an exotic taste that kept you wanting more...

She was about to open her mouth – though to answer Joker's question or get another spoonful of the dessert, she did not know – when a _clang! _and a cry from a table nearby caught their attention.

A human woman had leaped off her chair and was frantically shaking the man at her table, his slumped body lifelessly swaying from side to side with each tug and pull.

"Oh my god, he's not breathing! Elias? Somebody help him, please!"

"Mr. Keeler?" The waiter rushed to the table and shoved the still panicked woman aside before he leaned over the man's lifeless body to check for vitals. Most of the other guests had risen from their seats as well and a small, frightened group was already heading towards the exit of the restaurant.

"That's our cue," Shepard whispered and rose from her seat, shooting the barely touched dessert one last, rueful glance before she grabbed Joker and pulled him towards the exit along with more panicked guests.

"Ow, watch the arm..."

.

The bathroom door hissed open and Liara almost dropped the towel tightly wrapped around her when she noticed the familiar figure comfortably sitting in a chair in her living room.

"You... how...?"

"How did I get in here?" Shepard uncrossed her legs and leaned forward in the chair, her eyes gleaming mischievously.

Still speechless at the unexpected guest (after all, more than two months had passed without hearing a single thing from the woman now casually sitting in front of her) Liara could only nod, which earned her a short laugh from the human.

"I'm a professional," Shepard only challenged but then got up from the chair and approached the still frozen asari, gently tugging at the soft towel. "But the 'how' doesn't really matter, now does it?" she breathed against Liara's neck and the asari involuntarily closed her eyes at the sensation while Shepard pressed herself further into the other's body. "I'd say the 'why' is much more important..."

Swallowing, Liara forced her eyes open to look at Shepard who winked at her, one of the human's hands now resting on Liara's hip while the other had closed around Liara's, still clinging to the towel. "Then why are you here?" she managed to breathe.

Shepard's face lit up and she took a step back, the sudden loss of her warmth sending a cold shiver down Liara's spine. "Now we're talking..." The human nodded towards a window. "I've got a surprise waiting for you outside, but you'll have to get dressed first..."

Still smiling mischievously, she leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed her arms, a silent invitation for Liara to let the towel still tightly wrapped around her body fall to the ground and head for her bedroom to search for some clothes – which, noticing the hunger in Shepard's eyes, she did, regaining some of her confidence from the certainty that the human was feasting on her every move...

* * *

The night air outside was cold and Liara was thankful for the jacket she had hurriedly grabbed on her way out of the apartment. Shepard stopped a few feet ahead of her and turned around, smilingly patting a vehicle behind her on the walkway.

"Ever sat on a hover bike?"

* * *

With the cold wind rushing by, Liara buried her face deeper into Shepard's leather jacket, inhaling its already familiar scent while the bike sped through dark streets, its constant humming drowning out any other sounds around them. Due to the late hour and the fact that the bike hovered only a few feet above the street, as opposed to the few skycars rushing by over their heads, they had the streets and alleys all for themselves, which Shepard used to show Liara just how fast the vehicle could speed around corners – or maybe the human had just taken a liking to her passenger's arms tightly wrapped around her body... Either way, Liara didn't mind. The adrenaline rush after even the slightest tilt of the bike coupled with the thought that Shepard had finally returned to her had caused a satisfied smile to settle on her lips which refused to vanish.

Shepard finally slowed the bike down once they had left the city and were heading towards a nearby hill. Flying at a much slower speed now, her head turned slightly towards Liara. "Enjoying yourself back there?"

Tightening her hold on the cool leather jacket and giving a content sigh, Liara nodded, keeping her eyes closed as she murmured, "Very."

Shepard turned her attention back to the road ahead and gave a soft laugh. "That's good, 'cause I was thinking we could-"

* * *

_CRASH!_

"What the hell are you thinking, you idiot? People are walking here!"

"Get outta my face, Miller! I don't see no sign sayin' I can't toss my cheatin' wife's terminal outta my fuckin' window at three in the mornin'!"

"Well, she probably wouldn't need to cheat on you if you'd treat her better..."

"You better be gone when I return with the microwave or god help me..."

Liara bolted up in her bed and her head shot from side to side in the dark room trying to make sense of what had just happened. Her eyes finally fell on the familiar bedroom window where two of her neighbors continued their bickering outside and realization started dawning on her. Biting her lower lip in worry, she slowly, fearfully turned to the space in bed next to her, a pained sound escaping her when she found it empty; it had all been just another dream...

They had started a few weeks ago, tormenting her mind with false hopes and happiness only to be destroyed every time she woke up, forcing her to accept the hurtful reality: Shepard was gone, and the more time passed, the less she believed the woman would actually return...

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Liara fell back, burying her face in the pillow with a frustrated groan.

.

"You'll die for that, bitch!"

Shepard's head shot up and she managed to evade the charging brute of a man just in time before his massive body could smash her into the wall behind her. She let go of Charles Saracino's lifeless body and dove for her case when a sharp pain at her side made her clench her teeth. Nevertheless, she ignored the blade now buried in her side and rolled on her back, aiming the shotgun at the bodyguard towering above her just as he was about to attack again, and fired.

His shield caught most of the impact, but it didn't protect him from the incendiary ammo that set his face on fire only seconds later, greedily eating away at his flesh while he screamed and tumbled backwards, desperate to put it out with his hands. A loud bang drowned out the man's panicked screams and for a second, the entire scenery was illuminated by another firework exploding above them. At a distance, the gathered guests of Terra Firma cheered before they nipped at their expensive drinks, waiting for the next firework to entertain them. None of them even noticed the guest of honor was missing...

Still breathing heavily, Shepard turned her head to the side when the stench of burning flesh and hair hit her nose and she forced herself to breathe through her mouth while she crawled back to her feet, stashing her weapon back in its case before she inspected the blade still embedded in her side, a hiss of pain escaping her as soon as her finger so much as brushed its hilt.

* * *

"What the hell went wrong? I told you to inform me as soon as you spot one of his bodyguards!"

Joker raised his head from the datapad he'd been reading and looked around them as if only now realizing where he was.

"Oh, right... sorry. Did I miss him?"

Narrowing her eyes, Shepard snatched the datapad out of the pilot's hands and tossed it out of the ship's open hatch, ignoring the man's loud protest.

"In case you didn't hear the screams and gunfire, yes, you missed him..."

The pilot's eyes widened in amazement. "I didn't... Wow, you're _really _good..."

Shepard groaned and let herself fall on one of the ship's seats, hissing in pain when the wound at her side made itself known again. "Flattery won't help you this time," she declared before pinching the bridge of her nose with a tired sigh. "Why did I even take you along?"

Her companion shrugged, unimpressed. "Because you like me? And everyone needs a sidekick?" he offered, grinning. "And because I'm the best damn pilot you could find..."

"Doesn't mean I couldn't try to find another one..." Shepard grumbled before she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. "You're lucky I still got use for you..."

"Or what? You'd kill me?" Joker's laugh died on his lips when realization hit him only seconds later. "On second thought, don't answer that..."

"Just shut up and hand me the medi-gel..."

"On it."

.

"So, how long has it been?" Jenna handed Liara a steaming cup of tea and leaned against the wall next to the nightclub's staff exit.

Liara's eyes remained on the moon shining brightly down on the otherwise dark alley they were standing in. "How long has what been?"

Jenna turned away from the homeless turian she'd skeptically watched collecting empty cans at the far side of the alley. "How long has it been since you've last seen her," she specified.

Liara sighed and leaned her head back against the wall, closing her tired eyes. "I don't know," she evaded, knowing exactly what would come next...

Jenna snorted and took a sip from her own tea. "Right... like you haven't counted the days..."

It were months now, actually, but Liara didn't need to compromise her situation even more... So she kept her eyes closed and shook her head defiantly, giving another sigh. "What do you care?"

That earned her an almost insulted gasp from the human next to her. "I care because you're my friend..." Jenna gently nudged the asari. "You've been distracted. I can tell you were thinking about her... a lot..."

"It doesn't matter..." Liara gave another heavy sigh but still kept her eyes closed, "It was naive to believe she'd return anyway..."

"It's not naive to have hope," Jenna philosophized into her cup before waving an approaching batarian away. "We're on a break, so get lost. If you want entertainment you're gonna have to use the main entrance."

The alien quickly fled her glaring eyes and – with the turian having disappeared without either of them noticing – they were now alone in the alley, the dimmed bass from inside the club disturbing the otherwise peaceful quiet.

Jenna's concerned eyes returned to Liara. It hurt to see her friend in this state... Liara had always been the grounded one out of the two of them. Jenna was the dreamer, the impulsive woman ready to throw away everything she possessed at the chance of a life more adventurous, more glamorous than hers, but not Liara. Liara had been the one talking her friend out of countless plans, had helped her overcome many break-ups without once using the words "I told you so", and so to see the most grounded and realistic person she knew stare longingly at the moon in a dark alley or turn her head in hope every time a customer with red hair entered the club simply broke Jenna's heart. And yet there was nothing she could do about it but watch her friend grow wearier with each passing day, week, month even, trying to lighten the mood however possible – even if it just meant talking a customer into bringing her two cups of hot tea from his store down the street...

Jenna buried her nose in the steam rising from the hot brew and closed her eyes. "She's probably just still very busy right now..." she offered lamely, not able to face her friend's pained expression any longer.

Another defeated sigh. "You're probably right..."

.

The crosshairs followed the dark-haired man on his way through the park, not once leaving his head even when he stopped to greet a passerby, shake a few hands here and there or buy a cup of coffee from a human vendor. It stayed on him as he sat down on a bench, the black and yellow logo on his uniform now clearly visible in the afternoon sun. Shepard's jaw tensed; he wore the Cerberus batch like a medal of honor...

So far, the organization had stayed out of the news. There were rumors about horrible experiments and it was no secret that the organization stood for humanity's – and _only_ humanity's – interest in the galaxy, but there hadn't been anything solid yet, or maybe so far no one had cared enough to investigate, but her gut told Shepard that something was off with this organization and the galaxy sure wouldn't miss _this_ individual...

Someone cleared their throat next to her. "Erm, just in case you haven't noticed but... he's sitting right there..."

Shepard's head whipped around. "Would you shut up?" she hissed to the man lying on the rooftop next to her. He raised both hands in defense and then turned back to his omni-tool to continue his strategy game.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Shepard repositioned herself again, trying to focus on the task still ahead of her.

Why she had taken Joker along for yet another mission was beyond her. She had kept the man around her for far longer than she normally did and so far she hadn't even once thought about how to dispose of him when the time had come, which started to concern her... Had Liara already caused her to become soft? If so, it was a change she simply couldn't risk... not if she hoped to ever return to the asari alive. She couldn't afford to be weak...

"I like your new hair by the way..."

Shepard gave a heavy sigh but still turned away from her target once more, involuntarily running a hand through her freshly dyed black hair.

"Just a precaution, in case anyone from the Terra Firma party remembers their host disappearing with a red-haired woman," she stated matter-of-factly which earned her an approving nod from her companion.

"Clever... You think I should dye mine too? Just in case anyone remembers the dashing-"

"Joker, I swear to whatever gods you believe in, I'm going to kill you if you don't shut up..."

The pilot waved his hand dismissively. "Eh, I don't believe in any gods. Had a conversation about the 'Enkindlers' with a hanar on the Citadel once... weird guy..."

_Oh for the love of..._


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Before anyone can start complaining: you'll learn more about the characters' pasts in future chapters that should explain some of their behavior, don't you worry... :)_

* * *

"Liara. Hold on."

The asari stopped and turned towards the turian bartender quickly approaching her. Torek shoved past a group of chattering dancers before he stopped only a few feet away from Liara and nodded towards Jenna who was waiting next to her friend.

"It'll take a while. Just go on ahead."

Ignoring Torek's authorative tone altogether, Jenna turned to Liara, a questioning eyebrow raised. When the asari nodded, she gently touched the other's arm and, not even caring about Torek's dangerously narrowed eyes, followed the chattering group of dancers through the door leading to the club's locker room.

Once they were alone in the closed club, Torek crossed his arms in front of his chest for good measure and eyed Liara closley as he spoke. "Listen, I don't care about your personal issues, I never have... But it's starting to affect your work, and I can't have that."

He searched Liara's eyes but even though they were on him, they were distant. He had her attention, but just enough for his words to register in her mind, nothing more... The muscles in his arms tensed; he couldn't stand this superior act... All the dancers that had ever worked for him possessed it, this aura of supremacy. As if they wouldn't all depend on him allowing them to shake their cheap assets in this joint to make a somewhat acceptable living... It was a coping mechanism, he knew, to ignore their fate by blocking out parts of their surroundings, but that didn't make it any less infuriating...

A few seconds passed and, still met with the asari's stoic silence, Torek growled. "You used to be one of the customer's favorite," he spat, taking a threatening step towards her. "Spirits, you were the only reason half of those good-for-nothing losers visited this bar in the first place, but I need you focused for that. If you can't mesmerize my audience anymore, I have no further use for you, am I clear?"

Still not saying a word, Liara simply nodded, not even caring about showing any kind of emotion or fear at the now close proximity to the alien towering before her. He wouldn't hurt her, he simply couldn't afford it... That, and he probably knew he wouldn't survive the encounter...

Torek's mandibles twitched in restrained anger while his eyes bore into her and after a short pause, he hissed, "You got two days. If you don't change, you're out. Understood?"

Again, Liara simply nodded before she turned and walked into the now empty locker room to get her things and leave this rotten place as quickly as possible...

* * *

Outside, a cold wind greeted her and she shot a quick look around the now empty area in front of the club, its flickering neon signs illuminating her way just enough to make sure she didn't accidentally trip over an empty liquor bottle or some trash. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and kept her head low while she began to walk, Torek's words still swirling through her mind.

How had her life changed so quickly? A few months ago, she had enjoyed her work, had even reveled in the customer's attention... She had never cared about the customers themselves, of course; it was what had given her a mysterious aura, what had made customers spend too much money trying to get her to pay attention to them, which she then finally did – if the prize was right... It had all been a game, and she had mastered it. It had even allowed her to make an acceptable living, so how had one woman managed to change all that after only a few hours? How had a person Liara had never met before managed to make her so dependent, to evoke an urge for freedom in her she hadn't felt ever since she had fled from Benezia all those years ago?

Every day the red-haired woman hadn't entered the club with that familiar smile that made Liara's stomach flutter had only added to the emptiness the asari had started to feel. She had caught a glimpse of something exciting, a possible future, just to have it snatched away from her again; to be abandoned... again... With each passing day, she had grown wearier of the things around her, wishing she could just leave this life she'd found herself trapped in and rush after this fascinating woman, never to leave her side again... But that wasn't how life worked...

"Got a few credits to spare?"

A short but determined shake of her head and she had passed the vorcha loitering around the same, dark corner every day and night. The alien gave a disapproving, grunting sound but remained unmoving otherwise and continued sipping on his drink until he disappeared behind a corner – along with the nightclub and its lights.

The darkness of the empty street ahead welcomed her and Liara had to squint her eyes to make out the vague silhouettes of any obstacles in her way. She could have easily taken a skycab and would probably already be lying in her comfortable bath tub, but instead she had hoped the cold night air might help clear her head...

The thing that had caused her many sleepless nights already – a welcome change from those awful dreams though – had been the question if initiating a meld that night might have made a difference... She could have easily turned it into something far more meaningful than simply another random encounter... Sex the human could have on any random planet in any random, rundown bar with any random person... But she had hesitated...

It was no secret that asari were considered a desirable species in the entire galaxy, but it was just as well known that not every alien race saw her species' ability to meld as something intriguing. The thought of someone being able to link their mind to theirs could, for some individuals, seem frightening – especially on a planet like this where everyone had thoughts and secrets they wanted to keep to themselves... And that knowledge had made her hesitate; she didn't know Shepard good enough to risk destroying the fragile connection they had built up by simply giving into her selfish urges...

Some asari working at the club allowed well-paying customers a shallow meld – although they mostly focused on the customer's nervous system above anything else – but Liara had always regarded her ability to join her consciousness with someone else's as something more important, something money shouldn't be able to buy. Over the years, there had only been a select few she had shared this experience with, and now it seemed she had missed her chance to include Shepard to that group...

A rough hand on her shoulder jolted Liara out of her musing and before she could react, she was shoved against a building in a dark corner of the street, a figure hidden in the shadows pressing their body against hers and thus successfully pinning her to the cold, hard wall behind her.

"What have we here?" a sneering, male voice asked and Liara's body immediately tensed when she felt a wet tongue snake along her neck, her attacker's breath hot on her skin as he chuckled at his seemingly easy prey...

"Pretty lady like you shouldn't walk all by herself in these corners..." a second voice could be heard from somewhere in the shadows, followed by a chuckle from a third while the man in front of her, obviously a human judging by his silhouette, slightly leaned backwards to sneer at her.

Liara took the offered chance to take a deep breath and fill her lungs with as much fresh air as possible before the man's sour breath would hit her face again. At that moment, something inside her finally awoke anew and a spark appeared in Liara's, now clear, eyes. Her jaw tightened as she settled her eyes on her assailant, still not saying a word.

_You picked the wrong person on the wrong day..._

Unaware of the change in her, the man roughly grabbed Liara's left hand and pinned it to the wall, his own hand closing around it in an iron grip. Laughing quietly, he turned and reached for her right hand... and froze, his eyes widening when he noticed the blue tendrils now coiling around it.

"Oh shi-" was all he was able to say before his body was slammed into the opposite wall, the back of his head snapping backwards and hitting the concrete, hard. While his body fell limply to the ground, a powerful Singularity trapped the (because of the biotics) now visible group of men standing a few feet away. With his friends out of the picture, Liara slowly approached the still slumped down figure, her body glowing as she loomed over his form.

Blinking against the blood running down his face from a wound covered by greasy hair, he looked up at her, his eyes rolling to the back of his head momentarily while he fought against the unconscuiousness threatening to take him over. His mouth opened lazily but no words came out and he simply snapped it shut again after a few seconds.

Liara's gleaming eyes were still on him while his head rolled to the side, a sad, gurgling sound escaping his lips. Tilting her head to the side slightly, Liara could still feel the unfamiliar anger boiling inside of her and so, instead of just turning and walking away like she'd done on any other day, her biotics flared up once more, illuminating the dark alley with a bright, blue light while she prepared herself for a strong Warp...

* * *

Leaning heavily on the doorframe, Liara activated the door controls and entered her apartment, not even bothering to wait for the door to close entirely behind her. She placed her bag on the kitchen counter, rummaged through it and sighed in contentment when her fingers closed around the fresh bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy she'd bought on her way home. With the bottle in her hand, she headed straight for the bathroom and placed it on the sink while she turned on the water in her bath tub and added some bath salts. It wasn't a modern bath tub and it had cost her more than it was worth, but she didn't care. All she cared about – and had cared about many nights before after long days of work – was to sink into the warm, soothing water and forget about her worries, or at least try to...

She peeled out of her tight dress and tossed it haphazardly aside while a continuous stream of hot water slowly filled the bath tub, steam already starting to fog up the mirror over the sink. Her underwear quickly followed her dress and she grabbed the bottle from the sink again and climbed into the only half filled bath tub.

Her body relaxed as soon as it touched the warm water and after taking a first sip from the brandy, she sighed again and sank deeper into the water, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

The warm water around her quickly turned red as it washed off all the dried blood still sticking to her body...

.

Rain was falling down mercilessly, soaking her already wet coat even more and Shepard pulled her jacket's hood deeper down, its shadow now fully hiding her face while she walked past a huge office building. The building was empty, all the aliens having retired to their warm homes and families already.

Inhaling deeply, she buried her hands in the pockets of her jeans and quickened her pace as she approached a bridge in front of her. How she hated this weather... The streets were empty and everyone except her seemed to be in a dry home, warming themselves with a hot cup of tea, snuggled into a blanket next to their loved ones while the rain outside harmlessly pattered against the windows... Ugh, how she hated this weather!

A silhouette appeared at the other end of the bridge as a man quickly crossed it, keeping his head similarly low while he hurried forward, obviously as eager to find a dry place as Shepard.

When he had reached her, her hand shot out to lightly touch the man's arm – not strong enough to alert him but still enough to get his attention. He raised his head and Shepard shot him a charming, if apologizing, smile.

"Excuse me, but could you tell me where I can find the next bar?"

The man eyed her soaked form skeptically for a moment but then nodded and leaned over Shepard's activated omni-tool showing a city map. He pointed at a nearby street on the map but before he could open his mouth, it was covered by Shepard's hand. Pulling his head slightly backwards and pressing his back against her body to reveal his front, Shepard produced a knife from her jacket and after four quick, well-placed stabs she could already feel his body's tenseness weaken in her arms.

Before it could go completely limp in her arms, Shepard pushed the lifeless body over the bridge's parapet and turned away while she heard the splashing sound of the body hitting the water surface of the river running underneath the bridge. While still keeping an eye on her surroundings, she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face at her next thought: she'd finally managed to scratch the last name off her list...

* * *

As soon as the door to the sleazy tavern only a few blocks away opened, Shepard was greeted by the heavy stench of various alcohol mixed with sweaty alien bodies, but she still pushed her hood back and made her way towards the bar, the rain outside having washed off what little blood had been on her jacket a while ago. She sat on the bar stool next to a man hunched over a glass of what seemed to be beer, his cap lying next to him on the bar.

Shepard motioned towards the bartender and leaned forward on the bar to be heard over the loud chatter of all the aliens around her as she ordered a glass of Serrice Ice Brandy. The bartender, a turian (which Shepard couldn't help but find amusing), nodded and placed the ordered drink in front of her, nodding his thanks at the handed credit chit before he hurried back to the far side of the bar to get another patron's order.

After taking a sip from her drink, Shepard poked the man next to her. Grunting, he stirred and his head rose slowly, his eyes blinking rapidly while he eyed her before a wide grin spread across his face. "All done?" Joker asked and Shepard nodded, taking another sip from her drink.

"Yup. We can finally leave this place," she announced, letting her eyes casually wander over the people around them.

"Right." Joker nodded and attempted to get up. "Off to the next location then."

He was halted by Shepard's hand on his arm.

"We're not going anywhere tonight," the woman stated sternly, nodding towards the almost empty glass of beer still on the bar in front of him. "We'll get a room somewhere and leave first thing in the morning."

"_A_ room, huh?" Joker wiggled his eyebrows suggestively but Shepard just shook her head, smiling at him.

"_I_ am going to take a room and _you_ can do whatever the hell you want with your free time. You can go and sleep in your ship for all I care. All I ask you to do is be ready to leave early tomorrow morning."

Joker waved his hand dismissively. "Nah, I'm not gonna sleep tonight, I've met so many lovely people already. Would be a waste..."

"Whatever you say." Shepard downed the rest of her drink and patted him lightly on the shoulder as she got up. "Just be ready." And with that, she left the bar.

* * *

The next morning the rain had finally stopped and Shepard inhaled the air of the fresh morning deeply, smiling at a passing woman who was carrying a sleeping baby in her arms.

_"...the body of politician Elias Kelham was found by jogger Jacob Taylor..."_

Shepard slowed her pace and turned her head towards the nearby news terminal showing Khalisah Bint Sinan Al Jilani. The reporter was standing next to an African American man who nodded into the camera that moment and slightly leaned forward to answer one of Al Jilani's questions. The area around one of the reporter's eyes was slightly colored which she'd tried to cover up with a lot of make-up, but the bruise was still visible and Shepard chuckled lightly as she turned away from the terminal. Another interview gone bad, probably due to the woman's snide insinuations, she assumed...

_"...you ask me, it's a crime against humanity!"_

Shepard stopped again and turned back to the terminal. Behind the man – who went on in his obviously prepared speech – and almost out of the camera's view, was a dark-haired woman, nodding her head slowly. She was surrounded by other bystanders, but something about her made her stand out of the mass... The woman's cold, blue eyes were fixed on the man's back, watching him closely as if monitoring a protégé... Just then, Shepard noticed the small, yellow logo on the woman's jacket and her eyes narrowed. Cerberus...

To be honest, Shepard hadn't expected Cerberus to simply lean back after she'd killed one of their men, but why the organization had chosen Kelham's murder to involve itself (and had found out about it that quickly) was beyond her. Suddenly, the story of a jogger accidentally stumbling over Kelham's body seemed _very_ doubtful... But Cerberus' concerns weren't hers. She'd done her job – well enough to be sure it couldn't be linked to her –, she'd get paid for it and she would finally see Liara again, that was all Shepard cared about at the moment and so she tore her eyes away from the terminal screen and continued her way to the docked ship waiting for her at the end of the street.

Once she had reached it, she gently punched its side door – as Joker had showed her once – and it hissed open, revealing a snoring pilot entangled in two half-naked asari.

Shepard rolled her eyes and kicked the pilot with her boot. Joker gave a loud, disapproving grunt and his eyes opened slowly. Smacking his lips a few times, he sleepily blinked up at Shepard.

"I think you just broke my leg," he announced matter-of-factly before nudging the two sleeping forms around him. "Ladies, the party is over..."

The two guests groaned but then got up, yawningly gathering the rest of their scattered clothes and shoving past Shepard without a word – but with a few winks and light touches on the waiting woman's arm. Shepard ignored them and waited for Joker to crawl back into his seat, shaking his head trying to clear his thoughts.

He turned back to her and grinned. "Well, that was-"

"I don't need to hear it," Shepard interrupted him with a raised hand and he shrugged, turning back to the ship's controls.

"All right, suit yourself..." the pilot mumbled while reaching for the manual under his chair. "Where to now?"

"Back to your favorite planet with the best entertainment in the entire galaxy..."

Joker gave a mocking sigh as he started the ship, the controls in front of him lighting up. "Ah, now you're just spoiling me..."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: *sigh* Well... what can I say... I totally blame my muse. And my mind in general. And global warming... :)

But let's not dwell on my absence and rather celebrate my return with another interlude since I know how much you love them... ;) (And before I can hear any uproar: you'll get another chapter, so don't you worry, my dears...)

* * *

**Interlude IV**

**.**

The gleaming tip of the cigarette lit up as the man inhaled slowly. His disturbing, almost inhuman eyes rested on the holographic image of a dark haired woman in front of him while he made a show of casually releasing the smoke through his mouth.

Most Cerberus agents of lower ranks would have been unsettled by now, but not the woman in front of him... She simply remained perfectly still while she waited for him to speak. A smile tugged at the man's lips; it was one of the reasons Miranda Lawson was one of his most trusted operatives. Still, his almost fatherly pride was overshadowed by the report the datapad in his free hand held...

He shot the datapad another glance before handing it to his assistant who'd waited patiently behind his chair. The datapad was exchanged for a glass of expensive bourbon and, after savoring its rich taste on his tongue for a few seconds and shooting a quick glance at the leaving assistant, the Illusive Man turned back to his still waiting operative.

"I have to say, Ms. Lawson..." He took another drag on his cigarette. "I am quite disappointed..."

_"I-"_

The Illusive Man's raised hand silenced the woman immediately and, just like the obedient operative she was, she closed her mouth again and waited for him to continue.

"I don't care about your excuses," he stated calmly, his eyes never leaving hers. It was another one of his traits; the man rarely lost his temper... While other leaders raised their voices at the slightest irritation or intimidated their followers with violence, Cerberus' leader had very early on learned how effective an enigmatic aura could be. It made his next move that much more unpredictable...

After another sip from the imported liquor, the man continued, "Someone leaked that list and I want to know who it was and who is responsible for all these deaths..."

The woman nodded. _"I understand, Sir."_

"Don't make me regret placing all my trust in you, Ms. Lawson..."

_"You won't."_

The Illusive Man nodded and with a single tap on his chair's console, the hologram disappeared and left him sitting alone in the large room, the light from the burning star at his back dancing along the neatly cleaned tiles that covered its floor.

He remained sitting like that for a few more minutes, simply enjoying his cigarette and bourbon while his eyes followed the reflected light in front of him. Once his cigarette was reduced to a simple stub, he put it in the nearby ashtray and leaned forward, pinching the bridge of his nose with a sigh; the bourbon hadn't managed to calm his nerves... he could still feel the boiling anger inside him.

So many promising candidates dead...

His head rose, eyes gleaming. Someone had dared interfering with his plans, and if there was one thing the Illusive Man didn't tolerate, it was treachery...

Clenching his jaw in restrained anger, the man's eyes finally fell on the now empty glass nearby... He might just have to deal with his anger another way...

The Illusive Man reached for his chair's arm console and after only a second, a female voice rang through the otherwise empty room. _"Sir?"_

"I am in need of your service."

_"Would you like another glass of bourbon?"_

"No." The Illusive Man's eyes narrowed while an evil smile started tugging at his lips... "There's something else you can do for me..."


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: All credits for the ingenious idea of Elnora go to khawk3! (I still can't believe it wasn't my idea... *sighs* *shakes head* - Don't worry, you know I love you... ;) )

As for the rest of you (now, now, don't be sad, I like y'all too and you know I listen to your ideas as well, so keep 'em coming, I love hearing them... :) ), thank you so much for your continued support and... it still makes my day to see you leaving reviews, adding the story to your favorites or following it even though it hasn't been touched in... months... :)

I hope you're still ready for the ride 'cause this is only the beginning, trust me... ;)

* * *

"Excuse me, miss, could I order a drink?"

Liara slowly turned to the voice behind her, her eyes narrowing; that was the fifth one this week...

"I am not a waitress, _ma'am_, so if you want to order a drink, you'll just... have... to..." The next words died on her lips when one of the dancefloor's spotlights flashed across the woman's face for a second. The color of her hair had changed, but her eyes were still the same piercing blue, and that smile...

Liara's eyes widened. How had she not recognized that voice immediately? Probably the loud music, she mused while she swallowed, needing all her strength to keep her legs from giving way under her.

"You're..."

"...back, yes." Shepard's smile turned mischievous and she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Told you."

Liara nodded, her brows furrowed in confusion at her unexpected (but not at all unwelcome) guest.

A sudden silence fell between the two of them – if one could call it that in a club filled with loud music and the chatter of at least a couple of patrons – and Liara could feel tiny bits of her cold, collected work demeanor fall off of her with each drumming bass coming from the loudspeakers spread throughout the club until there was nothing left but a confused, nervous asari, reaching out with her shaking right hand to run it through Shepard's now black hair; needing the physical contact as if to confirm the other was actually real and not just an illusion created by her desperate mind...

"Your... hair..." she managed to croak, her mind still unable to adjust to the unexpected visit in this place that suddenly felt so wrong for the reunion she'd hoped for...

"Yeah... thought I'd try something new..." Seemingly unfazed by the tension between them, Shepard simply shrugged her shoulders but kept smiling warmly while she waited for Liara's hand to reluctantly let go of the soft strands.

"But..." Liara shook her head in frustration over her own weak voice and cleared her throat before she continued, with more confidence this time. "Why did you come here? You know where I live, you don't have to visit this place anymore..." And goddess knew Liara would have preferred a visit in a more private environment... "He'll only charge you for it..." She nodded towards the bar where Torek's eyes had already settled on them, watching the conversation closely from a distance.

Shepard waved her hand dismissively. "Eh, he can put it on my tab... Besides," she motioned towards a bearded man whistling at the asari dancer in front of him, "I even brought a friend..."

Turning to the nearby table, one of Liara's eyebrow rose while she studied the man sitting there. "You have... interesting friends," she concluded after a few seconds, her eyes quickly searching Shepard's again as if fearing she might be wasting precious time staring at weird strangers.

Shepard simply shrugged. "Guess so..."

"I-"

"Liara, there's a customer waiting for you at table five."

Liara's jaw immediately tensed at the gruff, unpleasant voice behind her and she turned around slowly, crossing her arms in front of her chest to prevent them from strangling the turian who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

She shot a pointed look around the half-empty club. "I do not remember anyone asking for me five minutes ago," she answered, struggling to keep her voice even, "And as I recall, I haven't had my break yet, which I hereby would like to take..."

The turian's posture didn't change a single bit while his small eyes bore into her with relentless hostility. "Well, plans change..." he replied – unimpressed by her attitude – and nodded to a table at the far side of the club, "You know we don't turn down paying customers, so get your ass over there and-"

"Hey Torek, long time no see..."

The turian's cool demeanor finally cracked at the happy voice and his mandibles twitched in what could only be assumed as barely-contained anger when he turned to the smiling woman waving at him from behind Liara's shoulder.

"Miss me?" Shepard grinned, activating her omni-tool in a casual manner. "I couldn't help but overhear you talking about paying customers, so-"

"Get lost, human!"

Shepard's brows furrowed in mock indignation. "Well, certainly that's no way to talk to your _paying _customers, now is it?"

Torek's talons balled into fists but he caught himself and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before he turned back to Liara, choosing to ignore Shepard altogether. "If I don't see you on that table within the next few seconds you're fired, you hear me?" And with that, he turned and stormed back to his bar, roughly shoving past a waitress in the process.

Liara bit her lower lip and turned back to Shepard, her expression apologetically. The human smiled and nodded, letting her eyes wander over the variety of empty tables around her. "I'll be here..."

Not trusting her voice at that moment, Liara simply reached out and ran her hand down Shepard's arm, shooting her a thankful smile before she turned and headed for table number five...

* * *

"All by yourself?"

Surprised, Shepard blinked a few times before she tore her eyes away from the table in a dark corner at the far side of the club (having made sure to keep an appropriate distance in case Torek was watching) and turned to a smiling asari dressed in one of the club's dancer outfits.

The dancer's smile widened when their eyes met and she placed a challenging hand on her hip, adding, "You must feel lonely..."

Shepard waved her hand dismissively, though returned the asari's smile. "Ah, it's not that bad... Actually, I'm-" Even before she had time to finish her sentence, the asari had settled on her lap and was now straddling the human while she began to slowly run both her hands through Shepard's hair and down her neck.

While her eyes followed the asari's hands on their determined way down her shirt, Shepard nervously cleared her throat, suddenly lost for words. "Erm..."

The asari tilted her head to the side in obvious amusement. "You were saying?"

* * *

This was ridiculous! The batarian sitting in front of her barely paid her any mind and judging by his lowered head, he was either _very_ drunk or already passed out in his chair... Luckily the music in the club was loud enough to drown out any snoring sounds coming from her "paying customer" or else Liara would have lost her mind a while ago...

Thank the goddess Shepard had promised to-

Liara froze when her eyes fell on the blue figure comfortably sitting on said human's lap. It was the new girl... Elena? Elnora? Liara didn't remember her name, and quite honestly, she didn't care. She was new here and Liara hadn't taken the time to introduce herself yet, but that wasn't a good enough excuse to break the one rule this club had: you do _not_ steal Liara T'Soni's customers...

A bored Jenna walked past her table right that moment, trying to stifle a yawn because of this night's lack of work, which turned into a choked squeak when Liara's hand shot out and closed around her arm, pulling the human towards her table.

"Ow, what the hell?" Jenna melodramatically rubbed her arm and shot her friend an indignant glare. "You know I bruise easily..."

Liara shook her head at her friend's outburst and – having been confronted with it many times already – she simply chose to ignore it, her eyes dead serious. "I need your help."

A weak smile forming on her lips, Jenna turned to the batarian at the table. "What, he asked for a show?" The human chuckled while she leaned forward to inspect the alien, testingly poking his sleeping form. "Is he even awake? Heh, bet he wouldn't even notice if I-"

"Jenna!"

Her friend's stern tone made Jenna turn back to Liara immediately and she shrugged in defeat, a sigh escaping her. "All right, what do you need?"

* * *

"So, what brings you here on this uneventful night?"

Shepard found it hard to tear her eyes away from the asari's slowly moving curves in her lap but she still managed to clear her throat and mutter, "Actually, I was going to meet a... friend..."

"A friend, huh?" Both of the asari's hands had settled back on Shepard's neck, starting to knead the skin there until a soft sigh escaped the human; she hadn't even realized how tense her muscles had been...

Closing her eyes to be able to enjoy the relaxing massage even more, Shepard nodded slowly. "M-hm."

"And you were going to meet them here?" After easing most of the tension in Shepard's neck, the dancer's hands wandered over the human's shoulder blades and down her back which caused the asari's barely covered breasts to now hover only inches from Shepard's face. Opening her eyes and finding herself in this new position, a mischievous smirk started tugging at Shepard's lips but she still tilted her head back to find the asari's eyes once more.

"You're very good at this..." the human drawled and her smile widened when she noticed the pleased gleam in the asari's eyes at the compliment.

"Why, thank you..." The dancer leaned forward until her breath hit the side of Shepard's neck as she added, "It's only one of my talents..."

A short laugh escaped her customer. "I don't doubt it..."

"Erm, Elnora? Could I talk to you for a sec?"

The asari's movement stopped but she remained close to Shepard and simply turned her head towards the human dancer waiting next to their table.

Elnora smiled sweetly. "I'll be with you in a moment..."

"Actually, I'd like to talk to you right now..." Jenna shot Shepard, who had turned her head towards the newcomer as well, an apologizing smile. "It will just take a second, but please, feel free to enjoy the _show_..." Making sure to emphasize the last word, Jenna nodded towards a table in the shadows where two gleaming eyes were boring into Shepard relentlessly. The human, however, seemed oblivious to the hint (and the eyes) and instead, one of her hands protectively settled on Elnora's thigh.

The following cry of outrage coming from the far side of the club was drowned by the loud, thundering music in the club - a batarian customer, however, gave a surprised, grunting sound before his head sank back onto his table.

"Why don't you wait by the bar and I'll be right with you?" Elnora turned her attention back to her grinning customer, her mischievous smile returning as she leaned closer, "I can still sense some tension in your lower back..."

Jenna felt a sudden panic arise in her as she shot another glance over her shoulder, shrugging helplessly. Even from the distance, she could see Liara slowly, dangerously, shake her head. _Not good enough..._

"My, what ever did you do to get so tense?"

Shepard's eyes had closed again and so she simply smiled, the talented fingers kneading her flesh drowing out all other thoughts.

Why had she come here again?

"You must have a _very _stressful-" The rest of Elnora's sentence turned into a surprised yelp and before Shepard even had time to open her eyes and see what was wrong, she could already feel the cold liquid soak the fabric of her pants.

"Oops..." an innocent female voice brought both dancer and customer back to reality, "I'm really sorry... Here, let me help you get that awfully sticky stuff off your outfit before it leaves any stains..."

Elnora's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but, shooting a quick glance down her now ruined outfit, she gave an annoyed sigh and entangled herself from Shepard. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Jenna's hands closed around her arm and the human pulled her away from Shepard just in time before Liara had reached them.

With her eyes narrowed in determination, Liara grabbed Shepard's arm and pulled her up. "Follow me."


End file.
